A Scottish Tory MSP who has been tipped to stand for the party leadership could be deselected by his local branch amid claims he focuses too much on "woke" issues. Jamie Greene has been labelled one of the contenders to replace Douglas Ross in what is set to be a lengthy contest.
It is understood that nine of the current cohort of MSPs are considering throwing their hat in the ring, including Scottish Daily Express columnist Meghan Gallacher and Shadow Justice Secretary Russell Findlay. They face a tough battle to stay on the coattails of a resurgent Scottish Labour.
Mr Greene, who is a West of Scotland representative, was highlighted as one of the frontrunners by a party source but has faced a harsh backlash for his past support for the Gender Recognition Reform legislation. This controversial bill was blocked by Westminster as it planned to allows trans people to legally change gender without a medical certificate if they live that way for a minimum of three months.
He was sacked from his front-bench role as justice spokesman due to allegedly voting for the bill, with this being a free vote for the Tories. But this angered his local members and councillors in North Ayrshire who also accused him of failing to represent them properly.
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According to the Daily Mail, senior officials from the North Ayrshire and Arran Conservative and Unionist Association say that he faces defeat if he tries to stand as a candidate in Cunninghame North again at the next Holyrood elections in 2026. He previously finished second in 2021, but was elected on the regional list.
David Rocks, Chairman of the North Ayrshire Association, said: "He's not really been involved for the past few years with the local association in North Ayrshire. He is a West of Scotland regional MSP, along with Pam Gosal and Russell Findlay, and there was absolutely no support during the council election or the General Election either, so local members that have worked hard for him have not been pleased with the lack of involvement.
"There is no real bad blood or anything. It's just there is an absence and a disconnect of communication and support, which is unfortunate. Pam and Russell have been quite active in North Ayrshire and this wasn't even the area in which they stood (as constituency candidates)."
Mr Rocks added that he would be writing to the new leader of the Scottish Tories to express their displeasure at his performance, and this could damage his hopes of getting a seat on the list. He insisted that some of his speeches at Holyrood had damaged his reputation as he fails to consult those he represents, including on gender reforms.
He said: "That caused an awful lot of problems because he didn't consult me as chairman or any of the members and councillors. He voted for it in parliament and as chairman I got quite a lot of emails from members and supporters saying they weren't pleased at all, and was this the mood and opinion of the association?
"I had to reassure them it wasn't and Mr Greene hadn't consulted us at all either. I know it was very much a personal decision and Douglas [Ross] allowed MSPs to vote freely. But as a regional MSP you should really consult your local associations.
"Some of his views just don't chime with us here either. He is quite on the liberal side and we are a bit concerned he is more interested in... dare I say, woke issues rather than local things that we focus on."
A source close to Mr Greene said: "Jamie is disappointed, but not surprised, by these comments. The leadership contest has not begun, nor has he declared, yet some establishment figures are briefing against him. Jamie has a strong track record in standing up for North Ayrshire and Arran, particularly our islands. That hard work as a regional MSP for eight years is a matter of public record and one he is proud of."
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