Simon Murray, Baron Murray of Blidworth
Simon Peregrine Gauvain Murray, Baron Murray of Blidworth (born 2 August 1974), is a British government minister and lawyer, who since 2022 sits  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 and practised 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 so as to be 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. Since 30 October 2022, he has served as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Home Office. Family
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 served as a ceremonial officer of the Order of St John. See also
 Clan Murray
 Home Office

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Notes

1974 births
Living people
British people of Irish descent
British people of Scottish descent
Alumni of the University of St Andrews
English barristers
Members of the Inner Temple
Politicians from London
Conservative Party (UK) life peers
Life peers created by Charles III
Conservative Party (UK) councillors
Esquires of the Order of St John
21st-century British lawyers
Government ministers of the United Kingdom