WITH rumours circulating that Boris Johnson could be bringing his new Cabinet to Scotland tomorrow for a "tour of the Union", take a look at who's who in his new Cabinet and what it means for Scotland.
GOING UP: WHO IS ALISTER JACK?
- Aged 56, from Dumfries lMP for Dumfries and Galloway since 2017
- Appointed as an Assistant Government Whip in February 2019
- Former Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Leader of the House of Lords
- Failed attempt at election in 1997, finished third behind winner Michael Moore
- Former vice-chairman of Scottish Conservatives
- He signed a letter to the Prime Minister on 16 February 2018 suggesting to make a clean break from the EU lEducated at an all-boys boarding school in Perth, Glenalmond College,
- Former business man with a personal fortune of more than £20m
- Founded tent-hire and self-storage companies in UK and France
- Currently owns and runs a large dairy farm near Lockerbie
- In 2017 it was revealed he owned over £70,000 of shares in a firm registered in a territory described as the world’s “worst” tax haven. Jack declared £3000 support from Eton-educated Sir Henry Keswick, linked to the MP but received through the party
GOING DOWN: WHAT DAVID MUNDELL SAID ABOUT BORIS JOHNSON
- BBC, October 2018: Accused Boris Johnson of being “focused on his own selfinterest and not on the interests of our country”. Also said Mr Johnson was “not an asset” to the party in Scotland and accused him of trying to create the “maximum amount of distraction and headlines for himself”.
- Rules out serving under Johnson, December 2018: ‘‘Given my views about Mr Johnson which are well known that would be extremely difficult. Mr Johnson and I don’t agree on a whole range of issues and I don’t see myself being able to serve in that way.”
- He denied saying he wouldn’t serve under Johnson, June 13 2019: ‘‘I have never said I wouldn’t serve in a Boris Johnson Government.’’
- Vows not to support Boris, June 13 2019: ‘‘I won’t vote for Johnson in leadership contest’’
- Congratulates Boris on victory, Twitter, July 23 2019: "I congratulate Boris Johnson on his clear win in the leadership contest."
I congratulate Boris Johnson on his clear win in the leadership contest. Our party must now unite behind the new leader and Prime Minister, so we can get on with the job of delivering Brexit, whilst maintaining a strong United Kingdom
— David Mundell (@DavidMundellDCT) July 23, 2019
- Sacked July 24
GOING UP: WHO IS ROBIN WALKER?
- Aged 41, from West Midlands
- MP for Worcester since 2010
- Campaigned for No campaign in 2014
- Identifies as "One Nation Tory"
- Rebelled and voted in favour of holding EU referendum
- Private schooled, Oxford educated
- Worked in financial services recruitment in City of London before joining Finsbury Group in Financial Communications in 2003
- His father was Lord Walker of Worcester, who was MP for Worcester from 1961 to 1992
- Former Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union
- Um ... that’s about it really
WHAT JOHNSON SAID ABOUT SCOTLAND
- Telegraph June 2016: Asked about Boris Johnson not standing for leader, Ruth Davidson said: “It’s not for everyone. Some people just haven’t got it. Maybe he’s one of them.”
- Twitter post about Johnson’s Andrew Marr appearance, March 6 2016: ‘‘Is it just me or is Boris floundering here? Not sure the bumblebluster, kitten smirk, tangentbombast routine is cutting through.’’
Is it just me or is Boris floundering here? Not sure the bumble-bluster, kitten smirk, tangent-bombast routine is cutting through. #Marr
— Ruth Davidson (@RuthDavidsonMSP) March 6, 2016
- Speech on the Leave campaign during TV Brexit debate with Johnson, June 22 2016: Davidson accused Johnson of ‘selling a lie’. ‘‘They lied about the costs of Europe. They lied about Turkey’s entrance to Europe. They lied about the European army… They put these in their leaflets and they’ve lied about it tonight. It’s not good enough – you deserve the truth.”
- Huffington Post on August 8 2018: Davidson labelled Boris Johnson comments in his Telegraph column about burkas as “gratuitously offensive”. “He knew exactly what he was doing and I think it crossed from being provocative and starting a debate and actually it became rude and gratuitous.”
- Johnson, as editor, authorised the publication of a poem (Friendly Fire by James Michie) in the Spectator magazine poem (2004) which described Scottish people as “a verminous race”.
- On Scot Gordon Brown becoming Prime Minister: “That would be utterly outrageous … mainly because he is a Scot, and government by a Scot is just not conceivable in the current constitutional context.” (2005)
- On Margaret Thatcher in Scotland: “What would Maggie do about the rest of the country? I think she would now be fighting like a lioness for the Union, and that she would comfortably see off Salmond, as she saw off so many smart alecs”
- "A pound spent in Croydon is of far more value to the country than a pound spent in Strathclyde’’
- Scottish identity is ‘political disability’: “It explains why Gordon Brown makes to many speeches about Britishness. He’s worried about his personal political disability as a Scottish MP.” (2005)
- On the SNP: Accused Nicola Sturgeon and her party of “using devolved power to damage the Scottish economy”.
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