Tory Scottish Secretary Alister Jack in line for peerage after general election

Alister Jack is in line for a peerage after the general election, reports have suggested.

The Tory Scottish Secretary has been considered for Rishi Sunak's final honours list, the Observer has reported. Jack admitted last week to placing three bets on the date of the general election.

He said he had not broken any rules and was not being investigated by the gambling watchdog, like many of his party colleagues. He stood down as an MP when the election was called.

Jack said he had in April put £20 at odds of 5 to 1 on an election being held between July and September, but that he had no knowledge of when it would be called until the day Rishi Sunak fired the starting gun on May 22.

It came after the BBC reported that he had told the broadcaster he made more than £2,000 from betting on the date, but he later dismissed the comments as a “joke”.

Tory figures have told the Observer it would be "problematic" to give Jack a peerage because of the betting row. But recent talks have suggested he is still in line for an honour.

Conservative sources also told the paper that the dissolution honours list could anger people within the party if "arrogant" advisors and aides receive gongs after such a disastrous election campaign.

One source said: “It’s just quite extraordinary that, having criticised Liz Truss for giving some of her team gongs for failure, they’re going to do the exact same thing."

Truss gave loyal aides, MPs and donors honours despite only being prime minister for seven weeks.

A dissolution honours list is traditionally published at the end of a parliament.

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