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Lots of people have embellished their CVs. But few get accused of outright lying. And fewer still go on to become Members of Parliament.
James McMurdock, the newly sworn-in MP for Reform UK, is under fire for allegedly inflating his career history. Byline Times has reported on super-shy, Invisible Reform candidates. McMurdock may be more like a mirage.
A former colleague of McMurdock’s at the global bank, Standard Chartered (SC), in London, paints a very different picture of the MP’s work history than what he states on his LinkedIn profile and Reform UK biography.
McMurdock’s party biography, presented to voters during the campaign, reads: “My professional journey has included roles at prestigious institutions such as Barclays Capital, Goldman Sachs, and Lehman Brothers. These positions laid the foundation for my career and underscored the importance of precision and relationship building.”
He adds: “I have facilitated billions of dollars in business deals across sectors including energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing for both global corporations and developing country governments. I achieved this by fostering relationships, understanding the legal documentation, and getting the numbers right.”
The ex-colleague, who got on well with McMurdock, says he was taken aback when he read those claims.
While McMurdock describes his role at SC as a “portfolio manager”, he served in an administrative role, handling routine tasks for already agreed loans, the SC source, who declined to be named, says.
“He was a deal administrator, which is a junior role. He had no part in structuring any financial facility,” said the former colleague.
McMurdock’s duties were limited to managing payments and financial reporting, a far cry from his self-described portfolio management, the source added.
Despite McMurdock’s claim that entering politics would be a “pay cut” – albeit “by the hour” – his former boss contests this, alleging that the MP’s salary is actually a significant hike compared to his previous earnings.
“His MP salary will be a big step up, not a selfless step down as he appears to be portraying,” they noted, estimating that he earned around £50,000 to £60,000 annually at Standard Chartered. McMurdock’s MP salary is £91,346, plus expenses.
As Byline Times has reported, McMurdock also lists experience at Lehman Brothers on his Reform UK bio, despite the firm going bust in 2008 while he was still studying at the University of Sussex.
A stint at Goldman Sachs, again boosted on LinkedIn and in his candidate bio, lasted just a couple of months.
His former boss suspects it was merely a short-term work experience gig. “He’s a half decent chap but was always full of it, and it makes me angry the way he has represented himself here,” the source remarked.
McMurdock updated his LinkedIn profile post-election, adding his MP role, and now calling himself a (former) Senior Associate for SC. His former colleague says: “His functional job title was deal administrator. He wasn’t a portfolio manager or anything of the sort. It was an administration job.”
The source claims it is unlikely that McMurdock would have been qualified to be a “porfolio manager”. Those roles are typically regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and he does not appear on the FCA register. Nor does he appear on the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) register, which again a role of that nature would likely have required.
“He’s not a terrible person, but I wouldn’t trust him with anything important. He’s very much a salesperson for himself, which is probably how he’s managed this [becoming an MP]…
“It’s not exactly Watergate, but I find it frustrating when people lie to voters,” the SC source added.
A spokesperson for Standard Chartered would not comment or confirm any details, but confirmed he has previously worked there.
Byline Times called a number belonging to McMurdock requesting comment. A voice matching his said: “Sorry buddy, I think you’ve got the wrong number.”
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Reform party deputy leader Richard Tice MP has previously told this publication:”Given that you spend your whole time trying to kill us we will not be giving any help / interviews with you.”
McMurdock might have sold himself well to the voters of Essex, but others aren’t buying it.
Byline Times has confirmed that the source worked with McMurdock at Standard Chartered.