Salmond to the Lords?

Scotland Office minister Ian Duncan has urged Alex Salmond to return to parliament by joining him in the House of Lords.

Mr Duncan, who will be elevated to the Lords and made Lord Duncan of Springbank today, said the SNP is “missing in action” because it does not have any peers in the Upper Chamber to exert greater influence over legislation.

He suggested the Scottish Nationalists could choose candidates for peerages in an internal election, who would resign after the UK leaves the EU.

The SNP supports the abolition of the House of Lords and has a policy of not taking peerages.