Is being a Tory minister really THAT difficult? Bizarre moment in the Lords as Mission: Impossible theme tune booms out during introduction of new environment spokesman

Becoming a new Tory minister might seem a daunting prospect at the moment as the party trails well behind Labour in the polls – but is it really Mission Impossible?

That seemed to be the message in the House of Lords today as the theme tune from the Tom Cruise film series interrupted proceedings.

The instantly recognisable music, which came from a mobile phone, played out as new Government minister Robbie Douglas-Miller was introduced to peers.

The wealthy landowner was formally taking his place in the Lords after being handed a life peerage by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier this month.

Lord Douglas-Miller also holds the unpaid role of Minister for Biosecurity, Animal Health and Welfare in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

He is the latest unelected member of Mr Sunak’s Government, which also includes ex-PM Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton as Foreign Secretary.

Robbie Douglas-Miller formally took his place in the House of Lords after being handed a life peerage by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier this month

There were bemused looks as the Mission: Impossible theme tune, which came from a mobile phone, played out as the new Government minister was introduced to peers

As a Lords clerk officially introduced Lord Douglas-Miller to his fellow peers this afternoon, the Mission: Impossible theme tune caused a couple of bemused looks in the chamber.

But the clerk continued to plough on with proceedings before the new peer swore allegiance to King Charles.

Labour peer Lord Woodley later spoke in the chamber to apologise for the interruption to the ceremony.

Lord Woodley, the former joint-general secretary of Unite, told peers: ‘Could I first of all apologise to the Speaker and particularly to our new lord, Lord Douglas-Miller, for my phone going off?

‘I have never been so embarrassed in all my life, I am sincerely sorry.’

News of Lord Douglas-Miller’s life peerage and appointment as a DEFRA minister was announced by Downing Street past 5pm on Friday 1 December.

His elevation to the Lords caused surprise at Westminster, with No10 giving no biographical details of the new Government minister.

It later emerged how the 58-year-old is a Scottish landowner whose family once ran the Jenners department store in Edinburgh.

He owns a majority of shares in Moorfoot Capital Management.

It was reported how Lord Douglas-Miller had previously been accused by ramblers of restricting public access to his estate.

It led to his appointment as an environment minister being criticised by the ‘Right to Roam’ campaign, which claimed DEFRA now ‘increasingly resembles a genteel medieval court’.

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