The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
‘Big shoes to fill’ for Scottish secretary
Alister Jack has been named the new Scottish secretary after David Mundell was brutally sacked in Boris Johnson’s Brexit reshuffle.
The 56-year-old Dumfries and Galloway MP said he was “honoured to have been appointed at a time when we face very significant challenges as a country”.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson remarked he had “big shoes to fill, but Alister Jack brings huge experience from outside government into Dover House”.
Mr Jack was educated at Glenalmond College in the 1970s and is a member of the Royal Company of Archers, the Queen’s ceremonial bodyguard in Scotland which includes members gentry.
Although a relatively new MP, he has been active in Conservative politics for some time.
Before Ms Davidson became leader, he was one of the prominent business figures to back her rival for the position, Murdo Fraser. of the landed
Mr Fraser stood for Scottish Conservative leader on the basis that he would change the Scottish party’s name and set up a new centre-right organisation which would take the Tory whip in the Commons but remain a different political entity.
However, Mr Fraser was defeated by Ms Davidson in the battle to replace Annabel Goldie as Scottish Tory leader.
Mr Jack was also a donor to the Better Together campaign which fought for a No vote in the 2014 independence referendum.
After being appointed Scottish secretary, he said: “We need to continue to defend the Union against those who would seek to tear it apart.
“In 2014, the people of Scotland voted to remain part of a strong United Kingdom.
“We will stand up for their decision against those who would try to impose unwanted and divisive constitutional change.
“We need to work with the Scottish Government in boosting Scotland’s economy, which continues to lag behind that of the rest of the UK, in large part due to the Scottish Government’s anti-business and high tax ideology,” he added.
“We need to continue to defend the Union”