Lord Frost resigns over Covid Plan B and direction of Boris Johnson's Government

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Resignation causes major new crisis for the Prime Minister



Lord Frost has told Boris Johnson that he is resigning from the Cabinet due to "disillusionment" with the direction of the Government.

The Brexit Minister, who was leading Mr Johnson's post-Brexit negotiations with the EU, is said to have quit over the Prime Minister's Plan B Covid restrictions a week ago but was persuaded to remain in his post until January.

Lord Frost felt growing "disillusionment" with the "direction" of the Government's policy, according to the Mail on Sunday.

The resignation of such a close ally creates a major new crisis for the Prime Minister. In a series of Cabinet interventions, Lord Frost resisted Mr Johnson's National Insurance hike and opposed draconian Covid-19 measures - a new suite of which are now being considered by the Government.

His interventions have echoed the views of many Tory backbenchers and his resignation is likely to fuel fears about the direction of the Government.

It comes after Mr Johnson faced a rebellion by MPs over the introduction of the tougher Covid restrictions.

A senior minister said they were not at all surprised by Lord Frost quitting the Government, adding: "I know he opposed Plan B. The Prime Minister's supporters are the ones who are least keen on the restrictions. The ones who want to undermine him want the restrictions. Frost going just proves that."

[rebbonk]

People are slowly awakening to what's going on. I just hope it isn't too late.

[dutchman]

Liz Truss to take on Brexit brief after David Frost resignation



The foreign secretary, Liz Truss, is to take over responsibility for the UK’s relationship with the EU after the Brexit minister Lord Frost’s resignation, Downing Street has said.

She will be adding ministerial responsibility to her foreign portfolio with immediate effect.

This means taking over Frost’s key positions on all the post-Brexit committees, including as co-chair of the partnership council and the joint committee that oversees the implementation and enforcement of both the withdrawal agreement of 2020 and the trade and co-operation deal clinched last December.

Her appointment will be seen as a steadying move after Frost’s resignation dealt a body blow to an already weakened prime minister, reeling from sleaze scandals and the loss of the byelection in North Shropshire on Friday.

Frost, who has led negotiations with the EU, handed in his resignation letter to Boris Johnson last week and had been persuaded to stay on until January – until the news was leaked on Sunday.

In his letter of resignation, Frost said it was the introduction of plan B coronavirus measures, including the implementation of Covid passes, that prompted his decision. He also said he had become disillusioned by tax rises and the cost of net zero policies.

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Liz Truss to take on Brexit brief ...

God help us!

[dutchman]

Boris Johnson accused of ‘downgrading’ Brexit after putting Liz Truss in charge



Boris Johnson was accused on Monday of “downgrading” Brexit by adding the task of leading the negotiations with the European Union to the Foreign Secretary's workload.

Senior members of the European Research Group (ERG) met privately at the weekend to express concern about the replacement for Lord Frost, who has resigned from Boris Johnson’s Government.

Liz Truss and Chris Heaton-Harris, the newly appointed Europe minister, now have responsibility for the Northern Ireland Protocol talks.

The Foreign Secretary will have her first discussion with Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission vice-president in charge of Brexit, on Tuesday in order to get discussions over the Northern Ireland Protocol off to a running start.

Ms Truss has told colleagues that she will in no way depart from Lord Frost's hardline position on the role of EU judges in the province and she aims to eliminate trade frictions in the Irish Sea.

Senior Brexiteers expressed concern on Monday that the brief was now in the hands of the Foreign Office. They would prefer the post remained a stand-alone brief, as it was under Lord Frost.’

Mark Francois, the ERG's chairman, told The Telegraph: “David Frost is an excellent, dedicated public servant who deserves all our heartfelt thanks.

"So is Liz Truss - but this will be one of many responsibilities she now has, assisted by a department which was totally opposed to our leaving the EU in the first place. So this will be challenging, to put it mildly.”

Another senior Brexiteer Tory MP said: "We need a political operation headed up by a dedicated minister. The Northern Ireland Protocol needs the complete and undivided focus of a minister who is doing nothing else."

A senior Conservative MP added: "They have given the policy to the department that was most keen to keep us in the European Union in the first place. The 'blob' will swallow it."

[rebbonk]

Johnson doesn't care. The only thing that the useless tub of lard cares about is his own neck, and as we are seeing, he'll do everything he possibly can to save it. The 'man' is a total abomination and should never have been allowed anywhere near No.10.