Green cllr: Glasgow members face discrimination in party

The Herald Scotland

24-07-2025

In an Instagram video, the councillor said members from the city had been subject to internal and public attacks by unnamed senior figures in the party.
"I've had folks stop me or try to talk to me in the party and say, 'I don't know if I can talk to you or not, because you know you're from Glasgow,'" he said.
"There's active briefing, not just within the party, but now publicly, against folk from Glasgow.
"I don't get it. I don't get why this benefits anyone. Why, if there's people who are senior within the party that have personal gripes with another person, they decide to tar everyone from Glasgow with the same brush for this.
"It's not been helpful. It doesn't help anyone. It undermines the party. Undermines the ability of our party to thrive."
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He said he had been left 'second-guessing' whether to stand for leadership, adding: 'If there's folk who are going to brief like this in bad faith about Glasgow and the potential of someone from Glasgow standing to be the co-leader of the party, then why should I stand?'
Cllr Carroll's decision comes ahead of nominations closing for the leadership contest on Friday.
Patrick Harvie's decision not to stand for re-election as co-leader has triggered a fierce battle for the top job.
Three MSPs — Lorna Slater, Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay — have already thrown their hats into the ring.
So too has Holyrood candidate Dominic Ashmole.
The ballot of members will open on August 13 for just over a week, with results announced at the end of the month.
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In his post, Cllr Carroll said members were 'crying out' for change inside the party and called on leadership contenders to commit to a cultural review, warning that allegations of misogyny, personal vendettas and a culture of silencing dissent were driving people away.
'People have left roles because of toxicity within the party,' he said. 'People have been asking for a cultural review. That's what people need to be doing.'
He added: 'It's the personification or personal application of disagreements, of making somehow criticism or professional disagreements be a source of personal gripes, or taken as personal gripes, has been really unhealthy.
"I don't expect that from within my party. I don't expect that from colleagues that are meant to be working together for the better of that party to make sure it grows for more MSPs, for more councillors fighting for communities that have been left behind, for communities that deserve better investment for their local community, for their local environment."
Cllr Carroll also said the Greens must shake off the image of being a 'middle-class party'.
He said there should be renewed focus on nationalising energy and public transport, tackling inequality, and lowering bills through a 'renewable revolution'.
The councillor ended his message by suggesting he may still consider a leadership bid in future — but only if the internal culture changes.
'Maybe one day I will,' he said. 'But the main thing is I want people to feel confident that they could do this in the future, that they could run in the future too, and the culture needs to get addressed first.'
The so-called Glasgow faction refers to a group of left-wing activists in the city who have been challenging the leadership.
Their critics have briefed the press, accusing them of being overly radical, a "militant tribute act."
There have also been questions over the conduct and counting of the internal elections. Kate Joester, the party's internal elections officer, resigned earlier this week, saying she had not done 'a good enough job' and regretted backing a statement that claimed there were 'no realistic doubts' about the results.
While most incumbent MSPs secured top places on their regional lists, North East MSP Maggie Chapman was demoted to second place behind activist Guy Ingerson, making her re-election more difficult.
A group of younger activists – including Ellie Gomersall, Iris Duane and Seonad Hoy – launched a bid to replace Mr Harvie as the Greens' top candidate in Glasgow.
They were unsuccessful, with members putting the veteran MSP at the top of the list, with Ms Gomersall second.