Prime Minister Boris Johnson must set out a clear Conservative vision for Britain or risk being ousted from Downing Street by the autumn, his former Brexit minister has warned.
Johnson survived a vote of confidence on June 6, with 211 Conservative MPs backing him and 148 wanting him to step down over the partygate scandal. Following the vote, the prime minister called the results “convincing” and “decisive.”
But Lord Frost, who was once among the prime minister’s closest advisers, urged him not to ignore the “depth of opposition” he faces within his own party.
Frost predicted that another attempt to oust Johnson could come after the Conservative Party conference in early October unless he changes course.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Frost said that the biggest problem now facing the government was not the issue of lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street, but that voters did not understand what it was trying to do.
“Every prime minister has weaknesses and blind spots. 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,” he said.
“Mr. Johnson probably has between now and the party conference to show he can do that.”
Frost, who served as the government’s chief Brexit negotiator until he resigned in December 2021, said that the government should “reverse tax increases and credibly commit to future cuts,” start fracking, be clear that “North Sea gas is fundamental for the future,” and take VAT off energy bills.
He said that the government needs “a strategy for productivity and growth,” as well as “a 10-year Conservative plan to restore the viability of the British state, based on freedom and individual liberty not collectivism.”
Frost also called for moves towards “smaller government, a freer housing market, an energy strategy that reduces carbon emissions but prioritises security of supply.”
He urged the prime minister to carry out a Cabinet reshuffle with the appointment of a “serious deputy” who could “design and deliver the strategy.”
“This is ambitious. I can see why many people think the Prime Minister can’t deliver it. He doesn’t like upsetting people. But any serious plan means making choices,” he said.
“Many of us still want him to succeed and will support him if he shows a sense of purpose. But he has to show things will be different now.”
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