Double celebration for Tories as Jamie gets a list seat
Conservatives in North Ayrshire and Arran had double reason to celebrate after their Cunninghame North candidate Jamie Greene became a list MSP. They were also delighted that the Conservatives beat Labour into second place in Cunninghame North for the first time in a Scottish Parliamentary election.
Mr Greene said: ‘I am deeply proud and honoured to have been elected to serve the West of Scotland in the Scottish Parliament. It’s hard to say if I was more excited about coming second in Cunninghame North, overtaking Labour, or learning that I had been returned as an MSP. I am absolutely thrilled at the result, we fought hard in our local campaign and I am proud of the team which helped get me elected.’
Before the night of the election Mr Greene was second on the West Scotland regional list, after Jackson Carlaw MSP. Jackson managed to win his local constituency seat of Eastwood which projected Jamie into pole position on the regional list.
Jamie, 36, was born in Greenock and lived in the Gibbshill estate in his early years. He attended St John’s Primary and St Stephen’s High School, both in Port Glasgow. Jamie holds dual UK/Canadian citizenship, his mother was born in Toronto, Ontario.
He now lives in a small rented house near Dalry.
He said: ‘I guess I am not a typical Conservative. I have neither the family history nor provenance of what people perceive a typical Tory to be, but my experiences in life made me a Conservative. Our party is a modern, diverse and welcoming home for centre-right thinkers. My commitment to making Scotland, and the UK, a better place to be born into, grow up in, be educated in and grow old in, is the reason I joined the party and the reason I wanted to get into politics. It’s been tough, and sometimes it’s not easy sticking your neck out, but I’d like to think that people will see me as down to earth, personable and hard working. I look forward to this new chapter in my life.’
He concluded: ‘Overall, it was a great night for the Scottish Conservatives, we returned 31 MSPs, our biggest and best result ever. That makes us the second largest party in Holyrood and allows us to become the official Opposition to the government. I look forward to working with Ruth Davidson and my new team of Conservative colleagues on forming a pro-active, hard-working opposition which holds the government to account.’