Jamie Greene MSP defends Brexit vote as he joins Scottish Lib Dems
Once the party of 'stop Brexit', Mr Greene's new party, the Liberal Democrats, toned down their enthusiasm to re-join the European Union ahead of this year's general election.
In January, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton called for a brand-new UK-EU Customs Union deal to "boost the economy and tear down trade barriers" following what he described as the "damage caused by Brexit."
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Asked by The Herald about how he squares his views on Brexit with joining the Lib Dems, Mr Greene said: 'I'm one of these people who's always had a very rightful suspicion of political institutions which aren't functioning well and I think I voted the way I did but I wasn't a campaigner for it, you can look back and the records will show that.
Questioned on whether he has changed his views on Brexit, Mr Greene said: 'I think we are in a different world now that was a long time ago…I think the world is in a much more dangerous place actually.
"I think one thing that Alex and I spoke about for a long time is what our relationship with Europe should be now moving forward…and I think there's broad agreement that we need to be much closer to our friends and allies in Europe than ever before.
'What that relationship looks like, who knows. There's a lot of bridges being burned in that but what I would say is that post the Brexit vote is that it wasn't handled particularly well by the conservative government, let's face it. I think that's something everyone agrees with.
The MSP's remarks come ahead of his first meeting with the Scottish Liberal Democrat group.
The party now has a total of 5 MSPs, meaning they are classified as a parliamentary group which allows for their leader Alex Cole-Hamilton to ask an extra question during First Minister's Questions every week.
Asked if he is expecting further defections from the Scottish Conservatives to his party, Mr Cole-Hamilton would not say, but he added: "It would be wrong to say that there weren't Conservatives at every level of the party...who aren't seriously considering their positions just now."
His new MSP, Mr Greene, said his door is "always open" to fellow colleagues.
Commenting on the addition of Mr Greene into the Liberal Democrat's ranks, Mr Cole-Hamilton said this signals his party ending the SNP's majority on the Scottish Parliament's Bureau, the body which determines the Parliament's agenda.
The party's former leader, Willie Rennie will now represent the party on the Scottish Parliament's Bureau.
Mr Cole-Hamilton said this 'opens the door' for opposition parties to 'force increased scrutiny of the Scottish Government's activities'.
It was also announced that Mr Greene will now represent the Scottish Liberal Democrats on the Public Audit Committee as Deputy Convenor.
Mr Cole-Hamilton said: 'With the addition of Jamie Greene to our group, we have gained a principled and eloquent parliamentarian who wants to get things done.
'It is a sign of the growing momentum behind our party and the disarray in which the Scottish Conservatives find themselves.
'His brave decision to join Scottish Liberal Democrats will also have a significant impact on events in the Parliament, because it breaks through years of dominance on the powerful body which controls parliamentary timetabling. The SNP will no longer have the majority say on how Parliament runs and works.
'The Liberal Democrats' elevation to the Bureau will give the majority of MSPs who are not from the SNP back control of our Parliament. The SNP will need to compromise, not railroad through its own agenda.
'The power the Scottish Liberal Democrats now have means SNP ministers can be dragged to Parliament on ferries, teacher numbers and ADHD waits, and they won't be able to hide and dodge scrutiny. That's good for democracy.
'We will work with other opposition parties to use these extra levers over areas such as ministerial statements and the timetabling of debates and legislation to hold the SNP to account and ensure that they are focused on the issues that matter most.
'This is the difference that more Scottish Liberal Democrat parliamentarians can make. If the Scottish Government stay focused on the issues that matter to people we will work with them but if they don't we will use these new positions to be a thorn in their side.'
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