No seat in the Commons? No problem!

There is precedent for a Lord being moved into the Scotland Office: the previous incumbent of the role, Andrew Dunlop.

Lord Dunlop was the Under Secretary of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland from May 2015 to until a few days after this month’s general election.

The main function of the junior ministerial post is to support the Scottish secretary.

Previously there were multiple understudies but, following devolution in 1999, the number of ministers was reduced to one given much of their previous remit now lies with the Scottish Government.

David Mundell, now the Secretary of State, held the post for the preceding five years with Liberal Democrats Michael Moore and Alistair Carmichael each holding the top job during the coalition government.

With a majority in parliament achieved two years ago and only one MP north of the border, however, then Prime Minister David Cameron was forced to find a solution that kept a Scot in Dover House, the impressive Whitehall home of the Scotland Office.

So the title Baron Dunlop of Helensburgh, in the County of Dunbarton, was created and he was introduced to the House of Lords on May 28 2015.

Members of either parliament, Commons or Lords, can be members of the UK Government and its Cabinet.

Lord Dunlop mostly focused on trade and investment for Scotland during his time in post but was also appointed as the unofficial Minister for Dundee, tasked with ensuring the city’s regeneration led to jobs and industry being brought to the banks of the Tay.

The former Downing Street adviser under both Margaret Thatcher and Mr Cameron stood down from his role two days after Theresa May lost her majority in the House of Commons.

He said: “It has been an honour and a privilege for me to serve in the UK Government, first as an adviser on devolution in Downing Street and, for the past two years, as a minister in the Scotland Office.

“I’d always planned to pursue other interests so the election was a natural point to step down.”

It was widely assumed that his timing was because there was no practical requirement for the UK Government to have an unelected politician in post with a new group of 12 Scottish Conservative MPs starting life in the Commons.

It seems that Theresa May and Ruth Davidson have other ideas, however, and have decided that lightning can strike twice to make sure they have a trusted minister installed as the UK begins its Brexit negotiations.

Picture: Kim Cessford. Lord Dunlop stood down from his role as a Scotland Office minister days after the general election.