A Jewish MP has been appointed as a parliamentary private secretary to the Secretary of State for Transport.

Lee Scott, who has represented Ilford North for the Conservatives since 2005, will serve as senior aide to cabinet minister Philip Hammond and will attend meetings of the transport ministerial team.

He was a member of the transport select committee during the last parliament. At the 2010 election Mr Scott increased his parliamentary majority by 3.7 per cent.

During the campaign he received death threats and said he had been targeted for his support of Israel.

Before becoming MP Mr Scott was a governor at Clore Tikva Primary School and served as the Joint Israel Appeal’s campaigns director.