In August 2015 MacGregor was selected by the SNP as their local candidate to contest the Coatbridge and Chryston constituency at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

In an acrimonious internal selection process, party members chose MacGregor ahead of five other candidates.

[4] Branch members later went as far as to plan a silent protest at the 2016 SNP party conference held in Glasgow in March.

[3] In a secret recording of one meeting, MacGregor was heard stating that the internal fighting was making him "physically sick".

[5] During the campaign MacGregor was branded as 'no show', a name initially coined by journalist Tom Gordon in reference to him not attending a hustings.