Scottish Secretary Alister Jack is set to stand down at the next general election.
The Tory MP has held the Dumfries and Galloway seat since 2017 before being appointed Scottish Secretary in 2019 by Prime Minister Boris Johnson – a role he kept under subsequent premiers Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
Mr Jack has been linked with a peerage on Mr Johnson’s resignation honours list – a position he would not be able to take up if he was still an MP.
In an interview with ITV Border, Mr Jack said: “I’m not going to the House of Lords and causing a by-election.”
Asked if he would go to the Lords if he stood down at the next election, he replied: “Who knows?”
He added: “I’ve been very clear in saying that I will not be standing at the next general election.
“I said that to Boris Johnson, I’ve said that to Liz Truss when she appointed me as Secretary of State for Scotland.
“And I said it to Rishi Sunak when he also appointed me as Secretary of State for Scotland.
“But they’ve factored that in and given me the privilege of continuing to serve.”
