ALISTER Jack has officially taken his seat in the House of Lords after being sworn in as Lord Jack of Courance.
The former Tory Scottish Secretary was nominated for a peerage in former prime minister Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list, alongside former Tory minister Michael Gove.
He served as an MP for Dumfries and Galloway from 2017, and was Scottish Secretary from 2019 until 2024 when he stood down at the general election.
And now, on Monday, Jack was officially introduced to the second chamber, draped in an ermine cloak.
When he was sworn into the second chamber on Monday afternoon, Jack said: "I, Alister, Lord Jack of Courance, swear by Almighty God that I will bear faithful and true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law, so help me God."
When the honours list was announced, Jack said: “When I stepped down as an MP at last year’s General Election, I was looking forward to new challenges. This opportunity was unexpected, but I welcome the chance to use this platform to speak up on issues I am passionate about.
Sunak’s citation said Jack “worked to ensure that devolution worked better for the people of Scotland and the United Kingdom”.
Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman said: “There are few institutions as outdated and discredited as the House of Lords. It is a ridiculous and anti-democratic relic that any self-respecting politician should be embarrassed to be part of.”
“Alister Jack represents a party that Scotland has rejected time and again, yet he has been put in this lucrative and powerful position for the rest of his life. What kind of democracy is that?
“One of the many benefits of Scottish independence is that it will give us the chance to build a modern democracy and end this preposterous and archaic system of unearned power for good."
Previously, SNP deputy leader at Westminster, Pete Wishart, said that honours for Jack and Gove were “one last slap in the face to the people of Scotland from Rishi Sunak”.
He said: “While Alister Jack and Michael Gove settle into their cushy ‘jobs’ for life safe, unaccountable to voters, people across Scotland are still suffering the effects of fourteen years of Tory rule.”
Jack previously admitted betting on the date of the 2024 General Election, but claimed he did so without any inside knowledge and did not break any rules.
He was in charge of the Scotland Office when the UK Government blocked Scotland’s gender reforms from becoming law, using a Section 35 order to block the legislation.
