Tory MSP Maurice Golden to stand down at next election

Conservative MSP Maurice Golden will not contest the election next year, he has announced.

The North East MSP said that after a decade in the parliament, it was a “natural point to pursue new challenges”.

He is the fifth Conservative to confirm his intention to stand down at the end of the current session, following former leader Douglas Ross, Liz Smith, Edward Mountain, and Oliver Mundell.

Over 30 MSPs from across the parties have now announced they will not seek re-election – almost a quarter of the whole parliament.

Speaking to The Courier, Golden said: “As the selection process gathers pace, it is timely to announce that I have decided not to seek re-election in 2026.”

Speculation has been mounting about the MSP’s future following Jamie Greene’s defection to the Lib Dems last week.

Golden has been a frequent critic of the party leadership in recent months, both at UK and Scottish level, particularly regarding climate policies.

UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch last month began to distance the party from its previous policy on net zero, claiming the 2050 target was now “impossible” and could not be achieved “without a serious drop in our living standards or by bankrupting us”.

Golden took a sideswipe at the shifting position in his statement. He said: “Since entering parliament in 2016, I have consistently championed progressive climate change policies as I believe this is the greatest challenge we face.

“My commitment to tackling climate change has never been stronger, particularly given the rise in climate scepticism at home and abroad.”

The Scottish Conservatives are expected to refresh their own climate policies in the coming weeks.

Golden was first elected in 2016 and immediately entered Ruth Davidson’s shadow cabinet as spokesperson for environment, climate change and land reform. He later became the party’s chief whip.

He was moved to shadow economy in February 2020 by Jackson Carlaw, a role he retained until shortly after the 2021 election when Douglas Ross reshuffled his frontbench team.

In the Scottish leadership election last year, he first backed Liam Kerr before endorsing Murdo Fraser after Kerr withdrew from the contest.

In the UK leadership election, Golden backed Tom Tugendhat alongside the majority of Scottish Tory MSPs.