Former Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy announces retirement

Paul Murphy, MP for Torfaen, has announced he will stand down from Parliament in May. Murphy has represented the constituency for 28 years, since first being elected in the 1987 election.

He served as Secretary of State for Wales twice, under both Blair and Brown: his first stint between 1999 and 2002 was followed by another 18 months in the role between 2008 and 2009. He also served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland between 2002 and 2005, and was chair of the Intelligence and Security Select Committee between 2005 and 2008.

Murphy, 66, cited the five year fixed term parliament length as a major factor in his decision to retire, and hopes to be replaced by a younger candidate. He said:

“This has been a difficult decision for me, but I think it’s the right thing to do.

“With a fixed five year term, I feel it would be better for a younger person to carry the Labour flag in our valley.

“I will miss the work in the constituency and the House of Commons, but it would be wrong of me to stand again and then not have the stamina to be an effective MP.”

“It has been an honour to represent my home constituency in Parliament. I value the support and loyalty that people in this valley have shown me, and I will always be thankful to them.”

Reacting to the news, Ed Miliband said that Murphy has been “a diligent and passionate Member of Parliament, driven by a burning commitment to social justice and to the creation of a fairer Britain”.

Welsh First Minister and leader of Welsh Labour Carwyn Jones praised Murphy for his work in helping secure the Good Friday Agreement, when working in his Northern Ireland ministerial roles, and said that Murphy was “one of the great Welsh political figures”.

Jones said:

“He played a major role in securing peace in Northern Ireland and our current and future generations across the UK owe him a debt of gratitude for that alone.”

“He played a major role in securing peace in Northern Ireland and our current and future generations across the UK owe him a debt of gratitude for that alone.”

Murphy notably changed his views on Welsh devolution over time – he went from a fierce opponent in the late 1970s, to voting in favour of devolution in the 1997 referendum.

Torfaen has been a Labour seat since it was created in 1983, and Murphy leaves behind a majority of 9,306.