What’s behind the Scottish Tory reshuffle?

The leader of the Scottish Conservatives has reshuffled his shadow cabinet, just as the Scottish parliament prepares to head into recess. While the rest of parliament has been focusing on winding down before the summer break, Douglas Ross’s decision making has ruffled feathers within the Tory MSP group – particularly given two of the politicians sacked had been rumoured to have leadership ambitions.

The move has prompted nervousness across the party – both among shadow ministers about who would receive what portfolio and how the MSP group would react. Last September, it was reported that MSPs were conspiring against Ross, but the coup didn’t transpire thanks to lacking consensus on who his successor would be.

So, will this latest reshuffle result in mutiny? Perhaps not immediately, but several of Ross’ group are certainly miffed about his decision making. Stephen Kerr and Jamie Greene were both thought to have been eyeing up the top job but by demoting them, Ross has weakened their prospects.

It has been rumoured Greene was sacked after voting for the Scottish government’s gender bill. Although health spokesperson Dr Sandesh Ghulane did the same, it ‘wouldn’t have helped’ Greene’s position said one party source. Though the Tories say they were the only party to allow a free vote on the bill, Greene certainly feels persecuted. ‘It’s okay to disagree, both within and between political parties,’ he wrote yesterday. ‘Or at least it should be.’ One insider admitted that while Greene’s comments were ‘expected’, his response has given the party ‘food for thought about how we do politics’. 

The decision to demote Kerr is said to be related to his plans to move to Westminster after he was selected to contest the new Angus and Perthshire Glens seat in the next general election. Meanwhile, Maurice Golden, who led the Tories’ opposition to the deposit return scheme, was not appointed into Ross’s shadow cabinet. Giving a scathing comment to the Scotsman, he criticised his party’s ‘slump in the polls’ as being ‘clearly unacceptable’.

But while some MSPs have expressed their frustrations in private, the Scottish Conservative party remains, on the face of it, positive about their reshuffle. Questions have been raised about the timing of the move, but the party is adamant now is the right moment to put more of their 2021 intake into the shadow cabinet. The promotions have been described as achieving a ‘good balance’ between people who have remained in the same jobs and those newcomers. 

Despite Greene’s remarks following his demotion, the Tories are positive that new justice secretary Russell Findlay has an ‘excellent background in justice’, with confidence he will continue Greene’s work. But in swapping out one politician with big aspirations, perhaps Ross has shown a little naivety in his subsequent decision making. It has, after all, been suggested Findlay could succeed Ross in a leadership bid. 

Another new face is Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, now net zero spokesperson – a great move to have a politician from the north in that role, the Tories believe, to show the Conservatives are ‘the only party’ standing up for oil and gas workers. 

Ross has given himself a busy last week before recess with his last-minute reshuffle, but the move gives the promoted 2021 intake time over recess to settle into their new roles. The party will be hoping that this will ensure any bitterness from those sacked will dissipate over the same period. For Ross to remain as party leader and fend off any future coups, this is imperative.