More chills for Johnson after Frost quits

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will take over responsibility for negotiating on the future of the Northern Ireland protocol following the shock resignation of Brexit minister David Frost on Saturday. Frost quit saying that he had become disillusioned with the direction of Boris Johnson’s government, citing decisions to reintroduce COVID restrictions and failure to move towards being a low tax and low regulation economy.

Truss has emerged as one of the most popular members of Johnson’s Cabinet among Conservative supporters and as a potential leadership candidate. The prospects of Johnson facing a no-confidence vote from his party in the coming months are growing, with MPs warning that he quickly needs to get a grip of the struggling government.

The loss of Frost is a particularly severe blow to Johnson, coming after growing public anger at revelations of parties held by Johnson’s senior officials in breach of lockdown rules, and the loss of an ultra-safe Conservative seat following a corruption scandal. Frost was Johnson’s advisor as Foreign Secretary during Theresa May’s premiership before being handpicked to negotiate the Brexit agreement with the EU.

Frost, whose abrasive style resulted in a series of disputes with the EU and France this year over the implementation of the post–Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement, is believed to have been angered by recent Foreign Office briefings for EU correspondents hinting that the UK had softened its stance on the role of the European Court of Justice.

The French government has already seized the opportunity to call for better relations with London, with Europe minister Clément Beaune saying that “it is time for the British government to rebuild a climate of trust with France and the EU in the interest of all.”

(Benjamin Fox I EURACTIV.com)