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Adam Tomkins

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Adam Tomkins
Tomkins in 2016
Member of the Scottish Parliament
forGlasgow
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
In office
5 May 2016 – 25 March 2021
Personal details
Born(1969-06-28)28 June 1969(age 55)
Berkshire,England,United Kingdom
Political partyScottish Conservatives
SpouseLauren Apfel
Children4
Alma materUniversity of East Anglia
London School of Economics
ProfessionLegal scholar

Adam Tomkins(born 28 June 1969) is a British academic and politician who is theJohn Millar Professor of Public Lawat theUniversity of Glasgow School of Law.A member of theScottish Conservatives,he was aMember of the Scottish Parliament(MSP) for theGlasgowregion from2016to 2021, when he stood down for that year's elections.

Previously a constitutional advisor to theHouse of LordsConstitution Committee,he was made constitutional advisor to theScotland OfficeandSecretary of State for ScotlandDavid Mundellin 2015. He was the Convener of theJustice Committee,having previously held the portfolio of strategy, communities, social security, the constitution and equalities.[1]

Academia

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Tomkins was educated atGillingham School,theUniversity of East Anglia(LL.B.,1990) and theLondon School of Economics(LL.M.,1991).[2]He taught at the School of Law ofKing's College Londonbetween 1991 and 2000 and became afellowatSt Catherine's College,Oxfordin 2000, before being elected to the John Millar Chair of Law at Glasgow in 2003.[2][3]His research interests lie in constitutional theory and history, British, EU and comparative constitutional law.[3]

Tomkins has published seven books[2]in the areas ofconstitutional,administrativeandEuropean Unionlaw, including two,Public Law(2003) andBritish Government and the Constitution(2007, with Colin Turpin), which are amongst the most widely used by law students in the United Kingdom.[4]

Tomkins has held visiting appointments at the Universities ofToronto,QueenslandandNew South Walesand theAustralian National University,and has lectured throughout the world.[4]In April 2009, Tomkins became associated with Ampersand, a stable at theFaculty of Advocates,as part of itsAmpersand Academicslink between practitioners and academics. Professor Douglas Brodie, former head of theSchool of Lawat theUniversity of Edinburgh,has also joined this project. In 2009 he was appointed legal adviser to theHouse of LordsConstitution Committee.He was elected a Fellow of theRoyal Society of Edinburghin 2014.[5]

Politics

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During the 2014 Scottishindependence referendumTomkins was a leading unionist campaigner.[6]

After the referendum Tomkins was one of twoScottish Conservativerepresentatives appointed to theSmith Commission.He has also been appointed as unpaid adviser toSecretary of State for ScotlandDavid Mundellduring the passage of theScotland Billthrough parliament.[7]

In August 2015, Tomkins announced his intention to stand as aMember of the Scottish Parliamentfor theScottish Conservativesin the2016 election.In a blog explaining his decision, he was highly critical of theScottish National Party's actions ingovernmentatHolyrood,and praised many policies of theConservative governmentatWestminster.[8]He was elected a list member of theScottish Parliamentforthe Glasgow Regionin the2016 Scottish Parliament election.[9]He previously sat on the Finance Committee and the Social Security Committee in the Scottish Parliament and then served as the Justice Committee convener. Between 2016 and August 2020, he served on the Scottish ConservativesShadow Cabinet.[1][10]On 17 July 2020, Tomkins released a statement announcing his intention to stand down as an MSP at the next election due in May 2021 for personal reason related to work and family.[11]

In April 2021, Tomkins wrote an article inThe Spectatorcalling for a new law to define when constituent nations of the United Kingdom could hold independence referendums.[12]The call was criticised by the Scottish Greens and SNP.[13]

In 2022, following themini-budgetofLiz TrussandKwasi Kwarteng,Tomkins said it was "inevitable" that the Conservatives would lose next election.[14]In August 2024, Tomkins revealed to journalistsBernard PonsonbyandAlex Massie,that he had voted for theLabour Partyin the2024 United Kingdom general election,opting to supportScottish LabourcandidateBlair McDougallinEast Renfrewshire.[15]

Works

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FromBritish Librarycatalogue (Accessed October 2015).

  • Understanding human rights.(1996, London: Mansell edited byConor Geartyand Adam Tomkins)
  • The constitution after Scott: government unwrapped(1998)
  • Devolution and the British constitution(1998)
  • Sceptical essays on human right(2001: edited byTom Campbell,K.D. Ewing,and Adam Tomkins)
  • Public Law(2003)
  • Our Republican constitution(2005)
  • How We Should Rule Ourselves(2005:Alasdair Gray,Adam Tomkins)
  • The executive and public law: power and accountability in comparative perspective(2006: edited byPaul Craigand Adam Tomkins)
  • European Union public law: text and materials(2007: Damian Chalmers, Adam Tomkins)
  • British government and the constitution: text and materials(2011: Colin Turpin, Adam Tomkins)
  • The legal protection of human rights: sceptical essays(2011: edited byTom Campbell,K.D. Ewingand Adam Tomkins)

References

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  1. ^ab"Adam Tomkins MSP".Scottish Parliament.Retrieved4 July2016.
  2. ^abc"oxford INTELLECT: Adam Tomkins".University of Oxford.Archived fromthe originalon 5 February 2013.Retrieved31 May2009.
  3. ^ab"University of Glasgow:: School of Law:: Adam Tomkins".University of Glasgow School of Law.Retrieved31 May2009.
  4. ^ab"Ampersand Academics – Professor Adam Tomkins".Ampersand Advocates.Retrieved30 October2015.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^"Professor Adam Tomkins FRSE, MSP – The Royal Society of Edinburgh".The Royal Society of Edinburgh.Retrieved9 February2018.
  6. ^Duffy, Judith."I am being forced to choose... would I want to stay in an independent Scotland as a No voter?".HeraldScotland.Retrieved29 October2015.
  7. ^"Constitutional expert appointed as Mundell adviser".Scottish Legal News.ScottishLegal.Com. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved29 October2015.
  8. ^Tomkins, Prof Adam (28 August 2015)."I am seeking election to the Scottish Parliament: here's why".
  9. ^"Nicola Sturgeon celebrates third term as Tories head for second place".Belfast Telegraph.Retrieved6 May2016.
  10. ^"Scottish Conservative appointments for new parliamentary term".Scottish Conservative Party.26 May 2016. Archived fromthe originalon 27 March 2019.Retrieved26 May2016.
  11. ^"Holyrood 2021 election: Which MSPs are standing down?".BBC News.BBC. 7 April 2021.Retrieved25 April2021.
  12. ^Tomkins, Adam (20 April 2021)."Why we need a new Act of Union — and what to put in it".www.spectator.co.uk.Retrieved25 April2021.
  13. ^Cochrane, Angus (21 April 2021)."Tory MSP says Scotland should be legally forced to stay in the Union".The National.Herald and Times Group. Newsquest Media Group.Retrieved25 April2021.
  14. ^Gilmour, Lauren (28 September 2022)."Inevitable Conservatives will lose next election, says former Tory MSP - Adam Tomkins who was a Tory MSP between 2016 and 2021 said it was time for the party to be in opposition after this week's economic turmoil".The Independent.
  15. ^The Ponsonby & Massie Podcast (11 August 2024).I VOTED LABOUR - Former Tory MSP, Prof Adam Tomkins.Retrieved12 August2024– via YouTube.
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