ADAM Tomkins, the academic and UK Government adviser, is bidding to become an MSP.

He is seeking the Tories' nomination to stand in a Glasgow constituency but also hopes to take top spot on the Glasgow regional list, a position which

would almost guarantee him a seat at Holyrood.

Mr Tomkins, the John Millar Professor of Public Law at Glasgow University, was one of the Scottish Conservatives negotiators during the Smith Commission talks on further devolution, working alongside Baroness Goldie.

Since then he has been handed a role as a constitutional adviser to Scottish Secretary David Mundell, as he steers the Scotland Bill through the House of Commons.

Mr Tomkins announced the move in a typically forthright post on his blog, Notes From North Britain, which included a withering attack on the SNP's record in government.

Describing the Nationalist administrations since 2007 as "dismal" he said the SNP would be brought down "by demonstrating to Scots that our solutions to Scotland’s problems are better than the SNP’s, even if we don’t tattoo the Saltire on every press release and policy announcement".

He added: "Naturally, I want Ruth Davidson to be First Minister, not Nicola Sturgeon, but if the SNP leader pips Ruth to the post, the Scottish Conservatives are, at the least, extremely well placed to form the most robust, principled and effective Opposition that any SNP administration has yet faced."

Mr Tomkins, who was a prominent No campaigner in last year's independence referendum, described himself as a "liberal, modern, reformist" Conservative.

He throws his hat into the ring as around half the Tories' complement of 15 MSPs prepare to stand down at next May's election.

Leader Ruth Davidson, currently a Glasgow regional MSP, will fight the election in the Lothians, where the party believes it can make gains.