Lord Frost says he has resigned as Brexit Secretary due to ‘coercive’ COVID policies | politics news

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Lord Frost has revealed that he has resigned as Brexit Secretary because he cannot support ‘coercive’ policies on COVID.

Speaking for the first time since his resignation, Lord Frost said he had “great admiration” for Boris Johnson and insisted they had never “in any way disagreed on Brexit policy until the last day”.

“I left the government, I think, because I couldn’t support certain policies, most recently on COVID restrictions and ‘Plan B’,” said the chief Brexit negotiator, who resigned on Sunday.

“If you’re a minister, you have to support collective responsibility, you have to support government decisions, and I can’t, and that’s why I had to leave.”

Analysis: Lord Frost’s resignation marks a chaotic end to what may be Boris Johnson’s worst week as Prime Minister

Photo: Secretary of State Liz Truss handled the Brexit negotiations. Pic: AP

Lord Frost said he was “absolutely confident that this country has a great future under Boris Johnson if we can get the policies right”.

“I am absolutely confident that he is the right man to move the country forward,” he added.

“I am not in favor of coercive policies on COVID. The Prime Minister has made some very difficult decisions and I am sure he will think about them seriously.”

He added that his departure was “not at all related to leadership, but rather to political differences.”

Lord Frost revealed he intended to leave his role in the new year but it was announced “earlier than we thought”.

Photo: Lord Frost and Boris Johnson signed the Brexit deal last year. Pic: AP

Liz Truss will assume Lord Frost’s responsibilities on Brexit while retaining her roles as Foreign Secretary and Minister for Women and Equality.

Lord Frost added that he was sure Ms Truss and MP Chris Heaton Harris, who had been appointed Minister for Europe, “would do a fantastic job”.

Ms Truss tweeted that she was “delighted” to take on the task.

The Northern Ireland Protocol is the main sticking point in the negotiations and is designed to avoid the introduction of a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

I have taken note of the appointment of trussliz as Co-Chair of the Joint Committee and Partnership Board. My team and I will continue to collaborate with the UK in the same constructive spirit on all important tasks ahead, including the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol.

– Maroš Šefčovič🇪🇺 (MarosSefcovic) December 19, 2021

In response to Ms Truss’ appointment, European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic said: “My team and I will continue to cooperate with the UK in the same constructive spirit on all important tasks ahead, including the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol.”

Lord Frost’s resignation is seen as a severe blow to Boris Johnson, after a week in which nearly 100 Conservative MPs voted against vaccine passports and the Conservative party lost the North Shropshire by-election.

David Blevins, Sky’s chief correspondent in Ireland, said Lord Frost’s departure “couldn’t come at a more sensitive moment as the negotiations on the Northern Ireland Protocol approach their climax”.

The former First Minister of Northern Ireland, Arlene Foster, described Lord Frost’s resignation as “enormous”.

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