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In her speech following her being sworn in as the first female Lord Chancellor, the Minister for Justice said:

"Mr Attorney, let me begin by thanking the Lord Chief Justice for his kind words – and the warm welcome he has given me over the past week.

I am delighted to have been appointed to this role.

It’s a privilege and an honour for me to have been sworn in today as the first woman Lord Chancellor.

Although, as the Lord Chief Justice has mentioned, I may not be the first woman to hold the Great Seal.

The duties that go with this role today – to respect and defend the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary – must be upheld now as ever.

In my time as Lord Chancellor, I will uphold them with dedication.

Because the rule of law is the cornerstone of the British way of life.

It is the “safest shield”, as Sir Edward Coke – a great son of Norfolk – put it.

And as Lord Bingham wrote:

“the hallmarks of a regime which flouts the rule of law are, alas, all too familiar – the midnight knock on the door, the sudden disappearance, the show trial”.

The fundamentals of civilisation and liberty depend on the rule of law.

It is our safeguard against extremism, oppression and dictatorship – the separation of powers keeps the executive in check."

It impressed me as I've already said.

Well, I've waited for her to do that following the outrageous personal attacks on the judges who had no option but to decide the Article 50 issue. And she hasn't except to say earlier today:

"The independence of the judiciary is the foundation upon which our rule of law is built and our judiciary is rightly respected the world over for its independence and impartiality.

"In relation to the case heard in the High Court, the government has made it clear it will appeal to the Supreme Court. Legal process must be followed."

Not the ringing words of her appointment. No defence of three men traduced in a newspaper to which she contributes as "Enemies of the People".

I shall not refer to her as Lord Chancellor again. She is a machine politician.

If Tony Blair was guilty of wrongly starting a war, may I suggest his more lasting legacy will be the erosion of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary which underpins it when he took the Lord Chacellor as a judge and the judges protector out of government?

The former and its effects will pass, the latter will be with us forever.