Buckland's history lesson for the PM

Following work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd's decision to resign from Boris Johnson's cabinet over the weekend, speculation mounted yesterday that Robert Buckland QC, appointed lord chancellor less than two months ago, would follow her out of Downing Street.

Could Buckland serve a prime minister who is reportedly willing to defy the Benn-Burt Bill stopping him from taking the UK out of the EU on 31 October without a deal, several legal commentators asked?

No news on what Boris Johnson will do about the Benn-Burt Bill (which now awaits the final stage of Royal assent to become an act of parliament), but Buckland announced yesterday morning that he's not going anywhere:

Speculation about my future is wide of the mark. I fully support the Prime Minister and will continue to serve in his Cabinet. We have spoken over the past 24 hours regarding the importance of the Rule of Law, which I as Lord Chancellor have taken an oath to uphold.

— Robert Buckland QC MP (@RobertBuckland) September 8, 2019

Surprising that such a conversation was required in the first place. But no doubt members of the senior judiciary will be relieved that they don't have to dust off their gowns (again) to welcome the eighth lord chancellor in a decade.