Ian Murray says he is “hugely disappointed” after being sacked as Scottish secretary in the UK government.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has reshuffled his team following the resignation of his deputy Angela Rayner.

Murray is Scottish Labour’s longest serving MP and a close ally of the party’s Scottish leader Anas Sarwar.

He has been the MP for Edinburgh South since 2010 and was made Scottish secretary when Labour returned to power in July last year.

For years Murray served as Scotland’s sole Labour MP, after the party lost 40 of its 41 seats in the SNP’s 2015 general election landslide.

In a statement, Murray said he would be “forever proud” of his role in Labour’s resurgence in Scotland.

He said: “It was a privilege to play a pivotal role in bringing Labour back to power in Westminster and the honour of my life to be asked by the prime minister to serve as the first Labour secretary of state for Scotland in 14 years.

“I have worked tirelessly with my wonderful political and civil service team at the Scotland Office, to put Scotland at the heart of this UK government.

“Together, we have already delivered so much for Scotland.”

Murray pledged his support to his “friend” Anas Sarwar ahead of next year’s Holyrood election and said he would continue to support the PM.

The MP said he was proud of projects such as delivering a frigate deal with Norway, GB Energy in Aberdeen and the recent Scottish budget settlement.

He added: “I have always felt a responsibility, having been the sole Scottish Labour MP for so long, to bring on and nurture the next generation of elected politicians and staff.

“I hope that has left a legacy that will thrive in years to come.”

Labour peer, Lord George Foulkes, branded Murray’s sacking “a disgraceful decision”.

He said he had “held the fort well through the lean years and has been a brilliant secretary of state”.

Things have been moving very fast at Downing Street, but Murray’s sacking came as a real surprise.

He was a loyal Starmer footsoldier, always happy to go to bat for the leadership in a way he was notably not during the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.

Murray had been due to front a government announcement next week, with the media having been invited to interview him on Monday.

There has been some immediate discontent from Scottish Labour figures over this news.

After years being their sole torchbearer at Westminster, Murray has lasted barely a year as Scottish secretary.

One Labour candidate for next year’s election said it was a “shocker”, and that “our electoral success last year was built on his back”.

In the 2017 general election Murray increased his majority as Labour returned seven Scottish MPs, but he again became Scotland’s sole Labour MP in 2019.

In October 2023 he gained a colleague when Michael Shanks won the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, giving Labour two MPs in Scotland.

He twice served as shadow Scottish secretary, quitting the post in 2016 in protest over Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

He was reappointed by Keir Starmer in 2020.

Previously, he had served as a councillor between 2003 and 2010 for the Liberton and Gilmerton ward in Edinburgh.

He won fans across the capital when he led the campaign to save Hearts Football Club from administration as the chairman of the supporters group.

The reshuffle follows the resignation of Rayner, who was found not to have paid enough tax on a flat.

The leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell, has also been removed from government.

David Lammy has been appointed as deputy prime minister and justice secretary; Yvette Cooper has become foreign secretary; and Shabana Mahmood becomes home secretary.