BORIS Johnson’s list of peerages is expected to be published later this week – and reports indicate it will include former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson.
The MSP led the Scottish Conservatives from 2011 to 2019. The Remain campaigner stepped down after Johnson became Tory leader last year, citing several political and personal reasons for the move.
Reports from the Daily Mail indicate the Prime Minister’s peerages list will be published in a matter of days, and will also include former chancellors Ken Clarke and Philip Hammond.
READ MORE: This is why Ruth Davidson will fail to save the Union
The House is expected to block former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s picks – the controversial former Commons speaker John Bercow, former party deputy Tom Watson and one-time chief of staff Karie Murphy.
The newspaper reported that these three nominations have been blocked, alongside a number of Tory donors, due to concerns raised by the House of Lords Appointments Commission.
The commission scrutinises candidates for party-political membership to ensure there are no “concerns about the propriety of a nominee”.
But the reports say Tory rebels and Remainers will receive peerages as Johnson wants to heal divisions in his party and the UK in general.
It has been the privilege of my life to serve as @ScotTories leader. This morning I wrote to the Scottish party chairman to tender my resignation. pic.twitter.com/CJ9EjW2RqN
— Ruth Davidson (@RuthDavidsonMSP) August 29, 2019
Clarke and Hammond were among 20 Tory rebels who voted to prevent a No-Deal Brexit last year – both were expelled from the Conservative Party as a result of their actions.
Before the General Election the Tories said the rebels would be blocked from selection as Conservative candidates.
Davidson stepped down as Scottish Tory leader shortly after Johnson’s plan to prorogue parliament was revealed. In her resignation letter, Davidson cited her conflict over Brexit.
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