IAN Blackford has demanded Alister Jack is sacked from the Cabinet after it emerged he is set to become a peer under Boris Johnson’s honours list.
The SNP Westminster leader challenged the Prime Minister over why the Scottish Secretary is set to continue as an MP, and as a minister, to avoid triggering a by-election in Dumfries and Galloway.
Jack, a fierce ally of former PM Johnson, features on the resignation honours list alongside COP26 president Alok Sharma and former culture secretary Nadine Dorries.
But with the Tories polling so poorly across the UK, and surveys suggesting the party could suffer a complete wipe-out north of the Border, the party is reluctant to hold a by-election and shift Jack into the Lords promptly.
Johnson has reportedly asked the fouir MPs nominated as part of his list to hold back until the next General Election.
Blackford was appalled by the request.
“So here’s another test of judgement for the new Prime Minister,” said Blackford. “Does he think it right to keep a man in the Cabinet who’s clearly far more interested in getting his hands on an ermine robe than playing by the rules of Scottish democracy.”
Sunak said he was “obviously” not going to comment on “speculation” on an honours list.
Blackford went on: “I’m afraid it’s not speculation, and of course the Prime Minister clearly doesn’t get how corrupt this all looks to people in Scotland.
“Because not only do we have a UK Government that denies democracy, we now have a Secretary of State that is running scared of it.
“In the middle of a Tory cost-of-living crisis, the Scotland Office is now to be led by a baron-in-waiting. Biding his time until he can cash in on the 300-a-day job for life in the House of Lords.
“He should be sacked from the Cabinet and the people of Dumfries and Galloway should be given a chance to sack the Tories in a by-election.”
Blackford said that with Sunak’s judgement in question following the Gavin Williamson and Suella Braverman rows, he should show “integrity” by stopping his predecessor “stuffing the House of Lords with his cronies”.
Sunak avoided the question, and argued the people of Scotland want to see the UK and Scottish government co-operating.
He added that he will be meeting with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, though there are no details about that publicly available yet.
