Ruth Davidson is to be made a peer in the House of Lords, it has been confirmed.
The former Scottish Tory leader has been named in the Prime Minister’s dissolution honours list which also make’s Theresa May’s husband, Philip, a Knight of the realm.
Davidson led the Scottish Conservatives from 2011 to 2019 and stepped down after Johnson became Tory leader last year, citing political and personal reasons for the move.
Reacting to the long-expected announcement Davidson said: "I am honoured to follow in the footsteps of former Holyrood parliamentarians such as Jack McConnell, Jim Wallace and Annabel Goldie in being nominated for membership of the House of Lords."
She added: "However, my main focus continues to be my Edinburgh Central constituency and I have confirmed that I will only take my seat after I cease to be an MSP in March."
Until then Davidson is expected to be stand-in leader for the Scottish Conservatives at Holyrood until a successor to Jackson Carlaw is elected.
As expected there is no peerage for former Speaker John Bercow who used Commons rules to frustrate the government’s Brexit plans but there is an honour for prominent leave supporter and controversial former England cricketer Sir Ian Botham.
Joining Davidson in the swelling ranks of the House of lords will be former chancellors Ken Clarke and Philip Hammond, who are being honoured by Boris Johnson along with Davidson in an attempt to heal the Brexit rifts within the Tory party.
Nigel Dodds of the DUP, who sustained Theresa May in office, is honoured as are Labour Brexiteers Frank Field, Kate Hoey and Gisela Stuart.
Ian Austin and John Woodcock, former Labour MPs who called out anti-semitism in Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party, are also honoured with peerages. These five former Labour MPs will sit as non-affiliated peers in the Lords.
Many of Jeremy Corbyn’s nominations are notable by their absence, including former deputy party leader Tom Watson, who has been tarnished for backing fantasy claims about historic child abuse, and Karie Murphy the former Corbyn aide.
But former Scottish Labour MP Katy Clarke, who was Corbyn’s political secretary while he was leader, goes to the Lords.
As well as a peerage for Theresa May’s husband there is one for Boris Johnson’s brother, Joe Johnson who stood down as an MP at the last election.
