On Brexit: “I would give the Johnson government eight out of ten,” says Lord Frost
EXCLUSIVE – “The Frost Report Part IV” includes
retained EU laws, Northern Ireland, international trade
An in-depth video interview with a man who was at the centre of things
In this, the penultimate instalment of the Frost Report, we focus on Brexit and the role Lord David Frost played as Chief Negotiator in Boris Johnson’s government.
Given his unique position throughout this period, what he has to say is particularly important and provides a fascinating insight into the decisions which had to be made at the time – and the measures now needed to rectify them.
This report is brought to you exclusively by CIBUK.Org and Facts4EU.Org and both organisations reiterate our non-partisan stance.
A CIBUK and Brexit Facts4EU.Org Series
Part I – On the Conservative Party, core beliefs, reconnecting with voters, and whether he will run
Part II – On the cost of Net Zero, immigration, the ECHR
Part III – On the NHS, education, cultural issues, judiciary, civil service
Part IV – On Brexit, retained EU laws, Northern Ireland, international trade (This report)
Part V – On taxes, defence, and the upcoming election
Below we present Part IV of this series – a 10-minute video interview – together with some selected quotes from what Lord Frost has to say about the government’s Brexit policy.
Well worth watching!
Summary
Extracts from Part IV of this interview with Lord David Frost
On Brexit
“I would give the Boris Johnson government 8 out of 10 for the Brexit we delivered… We did well particularly given the hand we’d been delivered.” “We did get out when it seemed impossible. We avoided… the backstop trap that would have kept us in the Customs Union and the Single Market. And we did get the free trade agreement that everybody said was impossible.”
“I do think that it’s important to have a government that is committed to dealing with… the remaining unsatisfactory areas and driving through and using the powers that we have returned to Britain in the most effective way possible. And I don’t think we’ve had that.”
On Retained EU Law
“I think it’s a pity the government switched the burden of proof around as it did last year. I think it would have been much better to say, as was the original plan, that everything gets repealed apart from [laws] you specifically need to save, rather than the other way round.”
“Now we’ve got the task… which we always tried to avoid, of going through the statute book, identifying things that need to go. And there’s always a lot of resistance… of stakeholders, people invested in the current system who don’t want to change it. So, it makes it more difficult.”
On Northern Ireland
“I think we’ve made a big mistake with the Windsor Framework. Boris Johnson and I always saw the Protocol as a fix that was never going to last.”
“The Windsor Framework… is just tinkering with the original Protocol… The government says the Windsor Framework is a good deal even though it isn’t.”
“I really fear that it’s going to entrench the division, entrench a kind of orientation of the Northern Ireland economy back towards the EU and the Republic. And it’s going to be much more difficult to unpick all this. But it still must be unpicked.”
“It’s a great, great pity that Brexit has been hamstrung in this way.”
On Trade Deals
“We have negotiated accession to the CPTPP, this big Asia-Pacific trade deal. That’s a huge one. And everyone said we could never get that.
“We’ve got a free trade agreement with the EU. We have an agreement with Japan and we’re carrying on with this. So, I think it’s been a success story.”
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On Fishing Rights
“The fishing deal [we agreed to] at the end of 2020… gives us full rights back over our territorial waters halfway through 2026.”
“The crucial thing is that when this moment in 2026 comes, we do take back control. We do have full freedom over our territorial waters and to negotiate freely with the EU.”
Observations
Once again, we would like to thank Lord Frost for giving up his time to talk to us in this, the fourth in a five-part series on the political challenges now facing the nation.
Given the unique vantage point from which he speaks, we are particularly grateful for his analysis of the current state of negotiations with the EU and the measures needed to secure maximum advantage for Britain.
We re-iterate our commitment to political neutrality but we hope the enclosed exchange stimulates thoughtful debate.
Finally, we are grateful to readers who donated to enable this to happen. We badly need more of you to donate, to cover the additional costs of a project like this. Thank you in advance if you can help us to recoup some more of the costs.
The Brexit Facts4EU.Org article can be read in full here.
Main image: Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2024