Why David Frost resigned

Coffee House Shots

The Spectator

News, Politics, Government, Daily News

4.4 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 19 December 2021

⏱️ 19 minutes

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Summary

Boris Johnson once boasted that you couldn't hold a cigarette paper between him and David Frost, the man he brought on to take Brexit over the line. Yet this key ally has resigned when the Prime Minister is at his most vulnerable. In his resignation letter, Lord Frost cites his concerns on whether the country is making the most of Brexit to cut taxes and red tape, and the direction of travel when it comes to dealing with the pandemic. On the podcast, Katy Balls talks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth about the significance of this moment – which Fraser says is 'a bigger blow to the Prime Minister than the by-election'. Taking a look at his reasons for departure, James says 'All the reasons he is citing – high taxes, Covid passes, net zero – punch every vulnerability that Boris Johnson has with the Tory activist base'.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Get 12 issues of The Spectator for just £12 when you subscribe this Christmas and you can get a free bottle of Tattinger champagne.
0:08.3	Just go to spectator.k.uk forward slash celebrate.
0:14.6	Hello and welcome to Coffee House Shots of Spectators' Daily Politics Podcast. I'm Katie Balls and I'm joined by Fraser Nelson and James
0:22.1	for Syf. Over night, Boris Johnson's beleaguered government has been shook by the news that
0:28.1	David Frost has quit. The Brexit minister has attended his resignation. He hasn't been on camera this
0:35.1	morning yet to talk about it, but he did give a speech a few weeks ago, which gave quite a clear hint about his views on the current direction and government.
0:43.9	If after Brexit, all we do is import the European social model, we will not succeed.
0:50.0	We know what the formula for success as a country is.
0:54.0	It's low taxes.
0:55.0	I agree with the Chancellor, as he said in his budget speech, our goal must be to reduce
1:00.0	taxes.
1:01.0	It's about light touch, proportionate regulation, whatever the policy objectives you're trying to pursue.
1:08.0	And of course, free trade.
1:10.0	Increasing consumer choice while reducing consumer costs ensuring that
1:15.4	competition stops complacency keeping our economy fit and responsive to innovation and progress
1:22.0	abroad and personal freedom and responsibility unavoidably we've had a lot of state direction and control
1:31.0	during the pandemic. That cannot and must not last forever. Frost resignation comes as there's
1:38.4	increased speculation and reports and word from government that new restrictions could be coming within hours.
1:46.5	Fraser, is this a crisis point for Boris Johnson?
1:49.6	Yes, he is in crisis, one that gets deeper every day, it seems.
1:53.7	You wouldn't think he could have a much worse day than Friday,
1:56.9	where he lost Northropshire in a massive by-election defeat, one of the biggest for 60 years.
	...

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