New Advocate General for Scotland appointed by Johnson
Boris Johnson has hired Scotland's new Advocate General after Lord Keen walked out over the Internal Market Bill.
The Prime Minister to day announced Keith Stewart QC has landed the role, one month on from his predecessor quitting.
A former prosecutor nicknamed “B off ” at school, Mr Stewart will now replace Lord Keen of Elie in the House of Lords, and become a life peer.
Lord Keen sparked a crisis for the UK Government last month after quitting in pro - test over the controversial UK Internal Market Bill.
Tory ministers had openly admitted the legislation would break international law and enraged Brussels by enabling them to over write parts of the EU Withdrawal Agreement.
Lord Keen had originally defended the Bill, telling the House of Lords it did not “constitute a breach of international law or the rule of law”.
He was contradicted, however, by Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis, who told MPS the Bill would indeed break international law “in a limited and specific way”.
After an extended discussion with D owning Street, Lord Keen finally resigned on 16 September.
In his resignation note, Lord Keen said: "Over the past week I have found it increasingly difficult to reconcile what I consider to be my obligations as a law officer with your policy intentions with respect to the Internal Markets Bill.
"I have endeavoured to identify a respectable argument for the provisions at clauses 42 to 45 of the bill, but it is now clear that this will not meet your policy intentions.
"In these circumstances I consider that it is my duty to tender my resignation from your government.
“Your Government faces challenges on a number of fronts and I fear that the Bill in its present form will not make these any easier.
“I wish you well in dealing with these issues.”
Lord Keen represented the UK Government at the Supreme Court in Edinburgh during the high profile legal challenge to Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue Parliament in 2019.
Made a life peer in June 2015, he was appointed as Advocate General for Scotland in May 2015, at which time he stepped
down as chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party.
The long month to replace him comes amid rumours several other legal professionals turned down the job.
Mr Stewart was educated at George Heriot's School in Edinburgh and went on to gain degrees at Oxford, Edinburgh and Strathclyde universities.
He was called to the bar in 1993 and is described as having a wide range of experience in criminal trials and criminal appeals, acting for both the defence and prosecution.
Scottish Secretary A lister Jack said :" Iv erymuchw elcomet he appointment of Keith Stewart QC as the new
Advocate General for Scotland.
"Mr Stewart is an exp erienced and highly-respected legal expert, and will bean excellent law officer.
"I look for ward to working with him on the many important issues ahead."