Who is Alister Jack?

As Boris Johnson's ministerial appointments were announced, it was clear some were going to generate more media interest than others. Priti Patel and Dominic Raab as Home and Foreign Secretaries respectively are the obvious ones, but there were many others that seemed either strange or controversial.

David Mundell being relieved of his duties was not particularly surprising, but his replacement as Secretary of State for Scotland certainly was. The confirmation of Alister Jack as Mundell's replacement had many asking "Alister who?"

Even I was surprised given Jack's status as a relatively new MP - having been first elected in the 2017 General Election. Of course, that would also apply to every other Scottish Conservative MP barring Mundell - and, the more I think of it, the less I can think of any alternative Scottish MP who fits the bill. That may sound a little like an endorsement, but I can assure you it isn't meant to. There was speculation that either Kirstene Hair or Ross Thompson might inherit the role, but even Boris Johnson has limitations when it comes to comedic inappropriate appointments.

What do we know about Alister Jack? First, the basic facts: he's a dairy farmer, a businessman who formerly specialised in self-storage, a former vice-chair of the Scottish Conservatives and a former chair of Fisheries Management Scotland. He is the incumbent MP for Dumfries and Galloway, the constituency in which he was born. Apparently he sells Christmas trees, too. So far, nothing particularly unusual.

There's a bit more however. He's also the Deputy Lieutenant of Dumfries and a member of the Royal Company of Archers, a historic but now largely ceremonial unit that ostensibly serves as the Queen's Bodyguard for Scotland. Since his election to the Commons two years ago, Jack has risen quickly: he has already served as PPS to the Leader of the Lords and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury. These posts were never likely to bring him much name recognition among voters, but they point to the kind of person Jack is: respectable and proud of it.

Given the type of cabinet Johnson has put together it shouldn't be surprising that Jack is an arch-Brexiter. Jack voted Leave in 2016, and last year created headlines when he co-wrote a letter to Theresa May urging her to adopt a "hard Brexit" strategy in order for the UK to gain full "regulatory autonomy". Strangely, he supported the Withdrawal Agreement but apparently only reluctantly for purposes of expediency - and has since made up for that by reiterating his view that a no-deal Brexit would bring "no serious damage".

What about his voting record? What does that tell us? Not a great deal, in truth - other than to confirm his pro-Brexit credentials. On social issues it's difficult to see what his views are but he did vote against retaining the Charter of Fundamental Rights and made himself scarce when the votes on same-sex marriage and abortion in Northern Ireland were on.

Finally, what about his views on Scotland? Predictably, he's opposed to a further independence referendum. But perhaps his most memorable and defining contribution to Scottish political matters was his rant at the BBC two years ago, in which he accused the corporation of a "separatist agenda" when the Proms in the Park concert on Glasgow Green omitted to include Rule Britannia. Such priorities clearly make him the ideal man to stand up for the all-important issues that concern Scottish voters.

What can we expect from him? Basically, he will be Boris Johnson's man in Scotland. I expect very little from him other than intransigence on Brexit and Scottish independence...and that he will lose his seat at the next General Election.