Former Tory MSP makes ‘open plea’ for colleagues to join him in Lib Dems

A former Tory MSP who joined the Lib Dems has made an “open plea” for former colleagues to do the same.

Jamie Greene was announced as the newest Lib Dem  MSP at the party’s conference on Friday just more than 24 hours after he left the Tories.

In his resignation letter to Tory leader Russell Findlay, Mr Greene accused the party of pursuing a “Reform-lite” agenda.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Show, Mr Greene said the situation in the Tories had become “intolerable” for him as he urged more Tories to consider their positions.

“There is a growing disquiet amongst people (in the Tories) who are like-minded, who feel the sort of politics and enact the sort of politics that I’ve been for the past couple of years,” he said.

“I understand it’s difficulty to say so publicly, I know how difficult it’s been to ring this to public fore and being the first is never easy.”

He added: “I’m going to make an open plea to people – over the Easter recess I want them to think in their heart of hearts, are you happy? Are you comfortable?

“If you’re not, come and join me.”

The party, he said, faces a “much wider issue” than just his defection as he claimed voters, activists and members of staff have reached out in support.

“There’s a split, there’s a portion of the Conservative Party who want to go further to the right to tackle Reform and I think the party are going in that direction,” he said.

“But where does that leave everyone else?

“That’s where I think there’s a growing amount of people in the Conservative Party who feel increasingly uncomfortable with its direction of travel.”

Asked about what had changed in the party that he joined in 2016 and under whose banner he sat as an MSP for almost a decade, Mr Greene said: “Let’s take, for example, sticking the words ‘dangerous ideology’ before something when you’re talking, for example, about the LGBT community which I’m part of.

“That doesn’t sit comfortably with me, I don’t deny that, it affects you personally.”

Mr Findlay and his party have regularly accused the Scottish Government of pursuing a “dangerous agenda”, including on transgender rights, which they fear could impact on the safety of women and girls.

A spokesman for the party said: “Under Russell Findlay’s leadership, the Scottish Conservatives are working hard to rebuild trust with disillusioned voters and promote common sense conservative values.

“We will continue to stand up to Holyrood’s cosy left-wing consensus and oppose the SNP’s dangerous agenda.”