Lawyers benefit from Conservative surge in Holyrood elections

Among the 31 Conservatives MSPs are advocates Gordon Lindhorst (pictured right) and Donald Cameron (pictured below) as well as Professor Adam Tomkins and Oliver Mundell, son of David Mundell, MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale and Secretary of State for Scotland.

Mr Lindhorst, a member of Westwater Advocates, has been elected as a list MSP for the Lothians.

He has a wide civil practice, including property disputes, employment law cases, personal injuries and in the commercial court; particular interests include public passenger transport law, listed building planning issues and European law.

Educated at the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Heidelberg, he has acted both for and against public authorities and is qualified as a practising English barrister and is a door tenant at Dere Street Barristers’ Chambers.

In addition to his civil practice, he has acted as both defence and prosecution counsel in Scotland and England.

Mr Cameron, also a member of Westwater Advocates, has been elected as a list MSP for the Highlands and Islands.

He was educated at Oxford and City University, London and is a non-practising member of the English bar. He has a general civil practice, with particular experience in employment law and public law (more recently appearing in several environmental/planning judicial reviews), as well as taking a personal interest in agricultural and crofting law.

He first qualified at the bar of England and Wales in 2002 and completed pupillage at 11 KBW Chambers. He then transferred to the Faculty of Advocates and was called to the Scottish bar in 2005, devilling to James Wolffe QC, Robert Milligan QC, and Thomas Ross.

Adam Tomkins, who has been elected as a list MSP for Glasgow, is a law professor at the University of Glasgow and has been a prominent voice in the party since the referendum in 2014. He was also a member of the Smith Commission and adviser to David Mundell.

He said: “I can read law. I can wrap my head around bills.

“If the Scottish government try to introduce another piece of legislation like the Named Person Act which is illiberal or another act like centralising the police service I hope I would spot that too.

“I want to be there to scrutinise the government proposals and make them better.”

“I’m not a tribal politician. I will work with any party to make the policies better.”

Oliver Mundell, 26, who took Dumfriesshire with 13,536 votes, joined the Conservatives in 2012 after he was inspired by Ruth Davidson’s leadership.

He grew up in Dumfries and Galloway and was head boy at Moffat Academy. He read law at Edinburgh University, graduating in 2012 with a First. Since then he has worked as paralegal for Shell and researcher for Geoffrey Cox, Conservative MP for Torridge and West Devon.