Lord Frost warns Boris Johnson not to ‘ignore’ scale of discontent among his MPs following confidence vote
- Lord Frost has said Mr Johnson can’t ignore the depth of his MPs’ opposition
- PM has until autumn to deliver a new vision or he will be forced out, Frost said
- Frost’s anti-Brexit peers warned ministers that they will obstruct legislation to over-ride parts of the Northern Ireland protocol
Boris Johnson’s former Brexit minister says the Prime Minister has until autumn to deliver a new Conservative vision or he will be forced out of office.
Lord Frost urged Mr Johnson not to ‘ignore’ the scale of discontent among his MPs following Monday’s vote of no-confidence in his leadership.
The Tory peer said another attempt to oust Mr Johnson could come after the Conservative Party conference in October, unless he rapidly changes course.
‘Every Prime Minister has weaknesses and blind spots,’ Lord Frost wrote in The Daily Telegraph. ‘The issue is whether they are able to compensate for them by having the right people, by taking good advice and by setting a clear policy direction with broad support. The PM probably has between now and the party conference to show he can do that.’
Lord Frost urged Mr Johnson not to ‘ignore’ the scale of discontent among his MPs
Lord Frost said Mr Johnson can’t ignore the depth of his MPs’ opposition.
‘Boris Johnson has been granted the right to give the Government a fresh start. He deserves that opportunity when one looks at all he has done for the country since becoming Prime Minister. But he needs to get a move on.’
It came as anti-Brexit peers warned ministers that they will obstruct legislation to over-ride parts of the Northern Ireland protocol.
Ken Clarke said a controversial Bill to be unveiled by ministers early next week will be ‘seriously challenged’ in the Lords.
The Tory former chancellor, a strong supporter of the EU, expects a ‘very large majority’ of peers will ‘hold it up for a considerable time’.
As part of Brexit negotiations, the UK and EU agreed to the Northern Ireland protocol, which is designed to avoid the need for a border on the island of Ireland.
But this has led to disruption to goods crossing the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with new checks imposed on those moving to the province.
The Government intends to use domestic law to over-ride aspects of the post-Brexit arrangements to reduce the checks required. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is expected to publish the legislation early next week.
Tory grandee Michael Howard said he expected the new legislation will ‘undoubtedly encounter a rocky road’ in the Lords.
Source: Read Full Article
