Advertisement

New Scotland Office minister takes seat in Lords after failed Holyrood bid

Tory donor Malcolm Offord has taken up a seat in the House of Lords (Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph/PA) (PA Wire)
Tory donor Malcolm Offord has taken up a seat in the House of Lords (Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph/PA) (PA Wire)

A failed Tory election candidate and party donor has taken his seat in the House of Lords so he can serve as a minister.

Malcolm Offord, who unsuccessfully stood for the Scottish Parliament in May, received a peerage to enable him to take the UK Government role.

The appointment of the financier as a junior minister at the Scotland Office after failing to be elected for the Lothian region was criticised by political opponents.

The Greens branded it a “disgrace” while the SNP condemned the “rampant cronyism” in the Tory Government at Westminster.

But Scottish Secretary Alister Jack welcomed the appointment, saying he would “bring to bear a wealth of valuable business experience” as the nation recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lord Offord of Garvel wore the traditional scarlet robes for the short introduction ceremony in the upper chamber where he swore the oath of allegiance to the Queen.

The 57-year-old was flanked by supporters and fellow Tory peers Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, the former Scottish secretary, and Lord Kirkham.

Read More

Lib Dems are the ‘principled’ opposition to Covid vaccine passports – Davey

Work on children’s rights Bill will continue, says Swinney

Supreme Court judgment ‘lays bare’ weaknesses of devolution, says John Swinney