Simon Murray, Baron Murray of Blidworth

Simon Peregrine Gauvain Murray, Baron Murray of Blidworth (born 2 August 1974), is a British lawyer and former government minister, who since 2022 has sat on the Conservative benches in the House of Lords.

Early life and education
The only son of Nigel Ormiston Gauvain Murray (1944–2002) and his wife Shirley née Arbuthnot (born 1949), a descendant of the Arbuthnot baronets, his matrilineal great-great-grandfather, Sir Henry Blake GCMG, was a British colonial administrator and Governor of Hong Kong who hailed from the Anglo-Irish gentry being seated at Myrtle Grove, County Cork. Of Scots patrilineal descent, his grandfather was Dr Ronald Murray MBE FRCPE, a kinsman of the Duke of Atholl.

After graduating from the University of St Andrews (MA), Murray was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 2000. He practises public law at 39 Essex Chambers.

In 2011 he appeared on the BBC show, Fake or Fortune? for his family who claim ownership of the painting; even though the family did not remember owning the painting and presumably because they had realised its worth, Children Under a Palm by Winslow Homer, which had been found by a skip over 23 years earlier; although determined to be genuine, who owns this work of art is still a matter of dispute.

Political career
Murray served as a Conservative Councillor on Gedling Borough Council, representing Newstead Abbey Ward from the 2019 election until he stood down in November 2022.

Under the premiership of Liz Truss, his appointment as a Minister of State for the Home Office was announced on 9 October 2022. Created a Life Peer on 21 October 2022, taking the title of Baron Murray of Blidworth, of Blidworth in the County of Nottinghamshire, he became a member of the House of Lords thereby being answerable to parliament.

Lord Murray made his maiden speech in the Upper House on 26 October 2022 during a debate on British Passports for those born the Republic of Ireland but living in Northern Ireland. He served as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Home Office from 30 October 2022 until 14 November 2023.

Family and personal life
Murray married Amelia May Beaumont (born 1983), a granddaughter of the Baron Beaumont of Whitley and a great-granddaughter of Lady May Abel Smith, at Temple Church London, on 4 October 2007. Lord and Lady Murray have two children.

A member of MCC, Lord Murray has also served as a ceremonial officer of the Order of St John. Admitted to the freedom of the City of London, he is a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Scriveners.