THE Liberal Democrats are ready to put the humiliation of five years ago behind them and win a seat in Glasgow again, Willie Rennie thinks.

The party leader who took over after a humiliation in 2011 leaving them with five MSPs and losing the Glasgow MSP they had since 1999, says they are on the way back.

Mr Rennie says the lessons have been learned and traditional LibDem voters are responding to his agenda on education, justice and health.

He said: “People are coming up to me in Glasgow in places where have never had much support and they are telling me they like what I’m saying and how I say it which wasn’t the case last year.”

He feels support lost to the SNP last year is returning.

“We are picking up people are not as enthusiastic as they were for the SNP last year, the shine has come off and they are more confident and comfortable coting for us and I think there will be a shift in that direction.

“Those people who voted SNP last time who has always voted SNP before, I think a lot of them are coming back.”

The coalition is still haunting the party but the leader feels those who took delight in the subsequent downfall are now having second thoughts.

He doesn’t blame the electorate, he’s not daft, but instead points the finger at the SNP.

He said: “I would never question the judgement of the voters.

“But when people like John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon were cheering and clapping when people like Vince Cable and Steve Webb and Mike Moore were losing their seats to the Tories in large measure, I don’t think they are clapping and laughing now when they see the Tories running the country by themselves.

“I think they were too gleeful with our demise. People are perfectly entitled to vote against us that democracy and they got that right. I would just question our opponents who were too happy to celebrate our demise but who are now complaining about the consequences.

“Massive cuts to renewables and to welfare way beyond anything we would have considered.

“Sucking excessive money out trying to create a surplus when the cost of borrowing is so low and a Tory government vetoing 3000 refugee children coming here.

“We are in a poorer state with Tories running country alone.”

Robert Brown is back as the top Glasgow list candidate. He was bumped in favour of Katy Gordon in 2011, who has failed on several occasions to get elected.

The party leader is backing the likeable and respected Mr Brown to be a vote winner again.

He said: “The final bit of the jigsaw is the fact Robert Brown is a class act. He was a great advocate for Glasgow in Parliament since 1999 till 2011 and he can be again.

“A local champion with record of action and promise of more for the future.”

The policy package focuses on education, health and justice.

Mental health is a priority, Justice based on rehabilitation and investing the proceed s of a tax rise in education.

Mr Rennie said: “With our package its nurseries, schools with a pupil premium and colleges because we think those are the three priority areas of education. So we aren’t obsessed with university. We recognise the value and want to make sure they are properly funded. We think dealing with colleges hat have taken a particular hit. The City of Glasgow College had budget slashed, we need to reverse that damage.”

Mr Rennie says the party has accepted the anger it provoked and has learned its lesson and is fighting back with a “positive, upbeat and progressive liberal agenda”.

I don’t put a limit on our ambition but I know we are going to grow.

Getting into bed with the Tories was met with disgust in Glasgow. If it can win a seat in the city then it is a sign it would overcome its troubles.