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

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2024

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 Facts4EU.Org and CIBUK.Org and both organisations reiterate our non-partisan stance.

This report is brought to you exclusively by Facts4EU.Org and CIBUK.Org.

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, the judiciary, the Civil Service
Part IV – On Brexit, retained EU laws, Northern Ireland, international trade
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!

Direct YouTube link.

(Please don’t forget to ‘Like’ and ‘Subscribe’!)

Brexit Facts4EU.Org 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 I think it would have been much better to say, as was the original plan, that everything gets repealed apart from [laws] you specifically need to save, rather than the other way round.”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.”

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.

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[ Sources: Lord Frost ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Fri 03 May 2024

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Reader Comments 8

1. terence patrick hewett , Wednesday, May 01, 2024, 10:44:

Pre-PM Blair, it was recognised universally that there was need for Constitutional Reform and Westminster Reform. Unfortunately PM Blair's reforms, Constitutional, devolutionary and the Supreme Court made a bad situation much worse. The trouble with Tony Blair, is the fact that, although he is British born in Scotland, he is neither a Scot or an Englishman: he is a member of a "class" and simply does not understand Britain or its unwritten Constitutional arrangement. All our difficulties come from Blairs ham-fisted reforms. It will take a great deal of effort to make things right: but it will be done.

2. ste , Wednesday, May 01, 2024, 17:37:

educations, and society in general will not function fairly until the people decide by referendum what is, and is not acceptable, we need a re-set on crime and punishment, look at Singapore and how safe it is, as a model for a fair safe society, all of course assisted by corporal punishment

3. Sparky , Friday, May 03, 2024, 06:51:

Lord Frost and BJ thought the NIP would not last, what rubbish. LF and BJ agreed to the NIP and had it signed. Until early this year Labour were saying they would seek a better deal with the EU but the EU have said they are not prepared to talk and are happy with the deal.
.
Sharing NI with the EU and putting a border in the Irish Sea will and is entrenching division and although it is probably 5 or 10 years away, NI will end up leaving the UK.
.
We have not got an FTA with the EU, it is a TCA. It has conditions that will in effect keep the UK aligned with the EU.

4. Ashley Great Britain , Friday, May 03, 2024, 10:15:

From the horses mouth.
Lord frost is saying all the things we think and know.
That's why the fight for a real Brexit continues.
You can see it already, in 2026 Labour will just sign upto another 10 years on the current fishing deal. IE we will have very few of the fishing benefits we should.

5. NH , Friday, May 03, 2024, 13:06:

3. Sparky, "Lord Frost and BJ thought the NIP would not last, what rubbish"
It didn't last !
.
3. Sparky, "although it is probably 5 or 10 years away, NI will end up leaving the UK."
A normal remainer response, ignore the facts and make up your own forecast !
.
3. Sparky, "We have not got an FTA with the EU"
You seem to be struggling with definitions. When we was were in the EU we paid them a fortune each year so we did not have a "Free Trade Agreement". Now we have tariff free trade with the EU and we don't pay them anything so it's a "Free Trade Agreement". Can you see the difference ?

6. Adam Hiley , Friday, May 03, 2024, 19:08:

The sooner the Conservatives ditch Sunak Hunt Cameron the better their electoral chances are there is no appetite for Starmer's rabble they would be a disaster mercifully the best We can hope for would be a Hung Parliament there would be another General election month's afterwards, if the Conservatives can be ruthless with Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson two people who lead the Party to huge political mandate's then they can certainly dump a loser like Sunak

7. Gazzablack , Saturday, May 04, 2024, 00:16:

Anybody know if Biden has contacted the Irish government yet, to order them to stop doing border checks?
I mean, border checks are a threat to the GFA aren't they?
.
Sparky should know, he's got creepy Joe on speed dial hasn't he?

8. Gazzablack , Saturday, May 04, 2024, 01:33:

A few snippets of news.
.
The UK saw an overall rise in foreign direct investment last year - The only major European economy to do so.
.
UK's ECGD, Egypt's GAFI ink MOU TO BOOST trade, investment ties
.
Confirmed in the HOC on May1st, the UK trade department has since 2022, removed non-tariff barriers estimated to be worth £15bn to UK businesses over the next 5 years.
.
Indonesia intends to apply to join the CPTPP
.
Florida hosts UK for trade and economic partnership talks.
.
Kenya, UK enhance customs valuation system to boost trade
.
South Korea has confirmed it has held talks on joining pillar2 of the AUKUS defence agreement.

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