The National:

THE UK Government's new Brexit Secretary has taken everyone by surprise ... but in a comically tragic way.

This appointment is so laughably typical of this Tory Government that we hardly know what to say.

Theresa May's government is witnessing the Union closer than ever to breaking up, the Good Friday Agreement is under threat in Northern Ireland and her own MPs are plotting to stab her in the back.

All of that chaos is down to Brexit – and with Dominic Raab resigning in protest, the Prime Minister had to find a replacement.

READ MORE: First Minister hits back at Tory claims she rejected Brexit meeting

So, who has been appointed to this crucial role? Leave-backing North East Cambridgeshire MP Stephen Barclay.

He has been promoted from the position of a junior minister in the Department of Health and Social Care to Brexit Secretary.

Alas, the Scottish Tories have been snubbed again. David Mundell and Ross Thomson will be gutted.

Instead, May has opted for an absolute nobody. Although she has responsibility for negotiating the deal, the fact Barclay is now charged with Brexit just sums this government up.

READ MORE: David Mundell clings on as Scottish Tory MP tells him to resign

Health Secretary Matt Hancock refused to rule out the possibility of people dying as a result of  medicine shortages after Brexit. Fear not though – Stephen Barclay is here to help avoid such disasters.

So, who is he? We'll quote from the biography on his website: "He spent his first four years in Parliament as a member of the Public Accounts Committee. He became a Government Whip In 2015 covering a range of departments over two years including the Treasury, Dept for Business, Department for Exiting the European Union and the Scotland Office. He was appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury responsible for financial services in 2017 and then Minister of State for the Department of Health and Social Care in 2018.

"Prior to being an MP, Steve was an insurance company lawyer, a regulator for the Financial Services Authority, and then Head of Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions at Barclays Retail Bank."

At least his experience in dealing with the Scotland Office will serve him well in this role – failing to stand up for Scotland's interesting will come naturally.

You might even suggest that he's simply a placeholder as others make the real decisions.

Meanwhile, Amber Rudd has taken up the role of Work and Pensions Secretary, after resigning earlier this year as Home Secretary.

She has the ridiculously low bar of being better in the role than Esther McVey.

It's about time Scotland made its escape.