The first female leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council is set to retire in May – after nearly three decades in politics.
Labour councillor Elaine Murray, 67, who also served as an MSP from 1999 until 2016, has held the top elected post at the local authority for the past five years.
Her husband Jeff Leaver, 69, who is also a councillor and chairman of the education committee, is also stepping down.
The couple are looking forward to spending more quality time with their family.
Dr Murray said: “We have five grandchildren now and I’d like to have more time with them and to be able to help out with childcare.
“I have been an elected representative in local or national politics for 27 out of the last 28 years and I feel that’s long enough.
“I want to do other things while I’m still fit and healthy.”
Having first graduated from the University of Cambridge with a a PhD in physical chemistry, Dr Murray stepped into politics as a councillor with Strathclyde Regional Council in 1994.
She then made the move to Holyrood and was MSP for Dumfries from 1999 to 2011 and then for Dumfriesshire from 2011 to 2016.
Dr Murray had several key roles, including shadow environment minister, before losing her seat in 2016.
The following year, she was elected as a councillor for the Nith ward and was quickly appointed the first female leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council.
It has been a bumpy ride in the top job over the past five years, with the council being caught up in failed multi-million pound contracts and then the pandemic hitting hard.
She admitted it has been a difficult period, saying: “This administration hasn’t had its challenges to seek.
“We inherited a lot of long standing problems reaching back years including DGOne, the waste contract, the trunk roads contract and more recently the construction issues at the NW Campus.
“The greatest challenge, as for everyone, has to be the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Council staff did an incredible job keeping essential services operating and providing support to individuals and businesses.”
He has been appointed to South of Scotland Enterprise’s new Natural Capital team.
