Very hard to understand how Lord Keen can stay in place as Advocate General after today and retain any respect; he's (rightly) been quite clear that it's his core job to defend the rule of law, which HMG now rejects. Here's a series of quotes from him: 1/5

As he rightly says, the core duty of all the law officers of the Crown is to 'ensure the Government acts lawfully at all times'; not just when government feels like it 2/5

And, as he also rightly says, if this isn't done- if government coolly announces as it did yesterday it'll break its legal obligations when it feels like it- elected government cannot govern effectively; they destroy their future position 3/5

The rule of law underpins the entire economy; if you can't 'ask for a debt to be honoured', why enter into any transaction that depends on any trust? 4/5

All from his speech to the @ScotPLG. If he goes back on this in Parliament today, why would anyone ever trust his word again? And how could he either function as a Law Officer or return to practice at the Bar, where your word is your stock-in-trade? 5/5 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-rule-of-law-and-the-role-of-the-law-officers

Well, there he was in the House of Lords today being torn up by Michael Howard of all people. I wouldn't have expected him to get the law wrong as @SuellaBraverman did, but the more discredit on him that he hangs on by his fingernails when his advice is rejected!

That was a speedy bit of leaking of the legal advice just now, congratulations to whoever put this out! https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/sep/10/governments-top-legal-advisers-divided-over-move-to-override-brexit-deal