In the final part of our new MSP interview series, Political Correspondent STEWART PATERSON talks to Adam Tomkins, Conservative MSP.

Glasgow is home to far more Tory voters if only people allowed themselves to realise it according to one of its newest MSPs.

Adam Tomkins says he is one such person. The law professor says he was once left of centre. His past says he was further left than that having once spoken at a rally advocating an independent Socialist republic.

He is now one of the many new Tory MSPs in the party’s biggest ever cohort at Holyrood.

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He’s been on a political Journey he says.

Like many on both sides of the Constitutional divide it was the referendum that led him into party politics.

Having doubled their vote in Glasgow Mr Tomkins believes there to be even more Tory support beneath the surface to be mined.

He said: “I’m convinced there are hundreds of thousands of people in Scotland, tens of thousands of people in Glasgow who would not be unsympathetic to us if they gave us a listen.

But for many reasons which predate my time in Glasgow and I’ve been here 13 years, there are many people who are just not prepared to give us a listen.”

Together with fellow Conservative MSP, Annie Wells, the father of four young children says that is his aim.

He added: “We just have to keep working away in ways that we did during the election campaign. We doubled our vote in Glasgow during the election campaign and doubled our number of MSPs

“We are all convinced we can double it again, not necessarily in one go. We are convinced there are more people out there, not just on the very strong stand we take on the United Kingdom but on issues like tax and jobs and welfare reform.

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“We need to sit down and explain our position in ways that take the heat out of the argument but shine light on it then you get a decent reception.”

Mr Tomkins quotes Ruth Davidson a lot and it is the leader who he credits with inspiring him to join the party and then to stand as an MSP.

His admiration for Ms Davidson is clear and it must a mutual as MS Davidson vacated the Glasgow seat to stand in Edinburgh, allowing him to take top spot on the city list almost certainly guaranteeing him success.

He said: “Even when we first met she knew I wasn’t a Conservative but we hit it off. I agreed with her on an awful lot.

“Also when Cameron came to power and started doing things that needed to be done that hadn’t been done by the Labour government like education reform and welfare reform.”

He believes other people also think they hate the Tories but once the listen they realise they agree on many issues.

Recalling a hustings in his own community he gives an example he thinks exists all over the city and country and which ads to his believe attitudes towards the party are changing.

He said: “There were very few hustings in the constituency in which I stood during the election, but there was one in the heart of Scotstoun Community centre round the corner from where I live.

“During the course of the evening there was no hostility towards me because all I was trying to do was explain my position and at the end of the night I hadn’t won many votes but I had won a lot of respect.

“One woman said I came here ready to spit at you because I thought I hated you. But actually you’ve given a good account of what you believe and what you are trying to do.”

He has high hopes for a Tory revival in the city where people danced in George Square when Margaret Thatcher died.

This year it doubled its vote, and its MSPs in Glasgow winning up to 15% of the vote in some areas.

He said: “That’s not the ceiling we know we can do much better than that.”