ANALYSIS

The phrase “life comes at you fast” was popularised in 2004 by insurance company Nationwide as part of an advert campaign designed to demonstrate, in apparently humorous terms, how quickly things could go wrong and prove why their services were necessary.

It is used on the internet a lot. It may well be repeated a few times around the corner of the Commons tearoom populated by Scottish Conservative MPs, although they will also no doubt pepper those five words with others not suitable for reproduction in a family newspaper.

Egos will be bruised, some badly, at a candidate who did not win his election to parliament two weeks ago being moved into the House of Lords so he can be part of the UK Government.

The obvious question is why create a lord when there are now 12 candidates for the position of David Mundell’s deputy?

First of all, of those elected, only John Lamont has more than a year-and-a-bit of parliamentary experience and it is tricky enough learning how to be an MP without also learning how to be a minister of state.

Doesn’t the same apply to Ian Duncan? Well, yes, except he is bringing extensive experience of two parliaments and exactly the kind of skill set required for the job ahead of him.

He was head of the EU Office for the Scottish Parliament between 2005 and 2011, and was appointed clerk to the European Committee and an EU adviser to Holyrood during this period.

He was installed as chief whip of the UK Conservative group in Brussels almost immediately after being elected as an MEP.

That is not a job that comes lightly and shows the faith shown in him on the continent.

He also has extensive knowledge of fishing, having been a former secretary of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, and the energy sector, he began his career as a researcher with BP, and is a fellow of the Geological Society, two areas that will have significant resonance in Scotland as the Brexit negotiations play out.

In short, he is seen as the right person for the job and it was an inconvenience for Tory high command that he was unable to get elected.

So they have risked annoying those who did manage to win seats in the Commons to make sure they have someone they see as most qualified for the post in place.

Little more than three years ago, Ian Duncan was a civil servant.

Life comes at you fast? He’ll be delighted by that.