Questions UK response to US Russia agreement
McMurdock asked about the agreement’s implications. Ministers referred to the Prime Minister’s parliamentary statement rather than providing a separate assessment in this answer.
Read original source →HOUSE OF COMMONS · PARLIAMENT DATA
James McMurdock
James McMurdock sits as an independent MP in the House of Commons for South Basildon and East Thurrock. This profile brings together parliamentary service details, election information and links to official records.
PartyIndependent
ConstituencySouth Basildon and East Thurrock
Current membership from4 July 2024
Parliament member ID5361
BIOGRAPHY · EARLY LIFE AND CAREER
MP: biography and parliamentary career
James McMurdock worked in banking before entering Parliament. The Commons register of interests records his employment as a senior associate at Standard Chartered Bank until July 2024. He stood for Reform UK in South Basildon and East Thurrock at the 2024 general election and defeated Labour by 98 votes, becoming one of the party's first five MPs.
Soon after his election, reporting revealed a conviction for assaulting a former girlfriend in 2006. Court records reported by national news organisations showed he had served 21 days in a young offender institution. McMurdock apologised for his actions and said he deeply regretted the incident. The conviction was not publicly disclosed during his election campaign.
In July 2025 McMurdock left Reform UK amid questions about pandemic-era business loans, saying he had taken legal advice and would continue as an independent. He remains MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, with Parliament's official affiliation record confirming that change. His parliamentary career has been marked by a narrow election victory, his earlier financial-sector employment and public controversy surrounding his conduct before entering politics.
Sources: Biographical or verified reporting · Parliament career · Parliament register of interests
Constituency: South Basildon and East Thurrock
Explore the constituency's recent election results, previous results and local electoral history on UK Decides.
View South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency profile →
Latest general election result
Election date4 July 2024
Majority98
Constituency turnout54.4%
Electorate72,673
For previous general elections and the full constituency record, see South Basildon and East Thurrock election history.
Parliamentary career
The current House of Commons membership recorded by Parliament began on 4 July 2024.
Parliament maintains the authoritative record of previous parliamentary service, offices and appointments. Consult the complete parliamentary profile →
Parliamentary activity and voting
Official parliamentary records provide details of speeches, questions, committee work and divisions. These records describe parliamentary activity; they should not be used on their own to judge an MP's effectiveness.
UK DECIDES · CURATED REPORTING
Selected recent reporting
Raises investment opportunities under India trade agreement
McMurdock asked about manufacturing impacts. Ministers highlighted existing Indian investment and expected opportunities from reduced barriers, without quantifying a specific additional investment total.
Read original source →Seeks Essex export figures for India
McMurdock requested five years of county level trade figures. Ministers said the department did not hold the series and pointed to available national statistics.
Read original source →Questions action on bullying in schools
McMurdock asked about prevalence and prevention. Ministers cited the national behaviour survey and schools’ responsibility to include anti bullying measures in their policies.
Read original source →Raises tax treatment of surplus food donations
McMurdock asked about incentives and redistribution costs. The Treasury outlined existing corporation tax treatment of donated stock and additional VAT relief.
Read original source →We take time to select five interesting and relevant stories about each MP, drawing on local and national reporting, official sources and their own updates. Every story is chosen by hand, not pulled from an automated feed.
MP in focus
South Basildon and East Thurrock
James McMurdock is listed by Parliament as a Independent MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, with the current Commons membership beginning 4 July 2024.
Parliamentary record →South Basildon and East Thurrock
The latest recorded election result gives a majority of 98 votes.
Constituency election history →AUTOMATED NEWS SEARCH · LAST 90 DAYS
Latest coverage of James McMurdock
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Contact James McMurdock MP
Details are drawn from publicly available parliamentary contact records and verified official MP links. Website and X profiles are shown only where available from official records or verified links.
Data sources: UK Decides uses the UK Parliament Members API for official membership, contact and election records. We also draw on a wide range of other sources, including MPs' own websites, parliamentary records, local authorities and independent news organisations, to research biographies and provide additional context. Information is checked and updated periodically, although details may change between updates.