Carol Ann Duffy is the new Poet Laureate

After much umming and ahhing, Carol Ann Duffy has accepted the role of Poet Laureate. The lesbian Scottish poet, who succeeds Andrew Motion, is the first woman to hold the position in its 341-year history. She is also the first Scot to be name Laureate.

Duff was born in the Gorbals district of Glasgow and now lives in Manchester where she is professor of contemporary poetry at the Manchester Metropolitan University. Earlier this week, she was reported to be anxious about the burden of the role and Simon Armitage was waiting in the wings if she couldn't face it.

Her predecessor, Andrew Motion, who stepped down this week after his ten-year stint, had made it clear that the expectation of a steady stream of rhymes marking royal birthdays and weddings and so on was onorous. He told the BBC he found them very difficult to write and that Duffy might not be relishing that aspect of the job.

In the event, she has agreed to do it and told BBC Radio's Woman's Hour this morning that she felt "very honoured and humbled". She also announced that she would donate the £5,750 annual fee to the Poetry Society to fund a 'best annual collection' award. However, the traditional 'butt of sack' that comes with the job - which roughly translates as 600 bottles of sherry - was another matter. "Andrew [Motion] hasn't had his yet," she said, "so I've asked for mine up front."

Duffy had been favourite in 1999 - which would have spared Motion both the chore itself and a certain amount of ridicule - but was denied the job because Tony Blair believed the country was not ready for a lesbian Laureate. Apparently it is now. She was so easily the favourite that bookmakers stopped taking bets earlier this week. ·