Michael Martin, the former Speaker of the House of Commons, will be formally unveiled as a peer on Tuesday.

Lord Martin of Springburn, as he will be known, will join the House of Lords for life as a crossbench peer.

Following a short ceremony on Tuesday afternoon, the former Glasgow North East MP will take his place in the upper house of the Houses of Parliament.

Lord Martin resigned as the Speaker earlier this year in the wake of the expenses scandal that rocked the House of Commons, when a newspaper revealed questionable claims made by MPs.

His handling of the ensuing crisis was heavily criticised, in particular over the issue of how MPs' expenses forms were leaked to the media.

When Labour MP Kate Hoey questioned the wisdom of calling in the police to investigate the originator of the leaked information, Mr Martin's caustic response was deemed inappropriate.

He dismissed the MP, saying: "I listen to you often when I turn on my television at midnight, and I hear your public utterances and your pearls of wisdom on Sky News."

Following his resignation, Mr Martin was replaced as Speaker by Conservative MP John Bercow after the first open elections for the Speakership.

A by-election to find Mr Martin’s replacement for the Glasgow North East constituency will be held on November 12.