London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 02, 2025

PM must commit to low taxes or risk losing next election, says David Frost

PM must commit to low taxes or risk losing next election, says David Frost

Former Brexit minister also calls for shake-up of Boris Johnson’s advisory team in first major interview since resigning from cabinet
Boris Johnson’s former Brexit minister who quit last month has warned him to commit to low taxes and the free market or risk losing the next election, as the prime minister comes under continuing pressure from the Conservative right.

David Frost, a former lobbyist whom Johnson made his chief Brexit negotiator and later gave a peerage, said in his first major interview since quitting as a cabinet minister that the Tories needed to “focus on rebuilding the nation and be proud of our history”.

Lord Frost resigned before Christmas, citing concerns about the direction of travel of the government, particularly over Covid rules. However, it also came at a difficult time for the UK’s negotiations with the EU, as it emerged that Britain was prepared to drop demands for EU judges to be stripped of their role in overseeing Northern Ireland.

Since then, Frost has signalled his intention to join with others on the right of the Tory party, becoming a member of the so-called Covid Recovery Group, which is sceptical of restrictions and focused on getting the economy moving.

The Tory peer told the Mail on Sunday: “We need to get the country going economically again and that means free markets, free debate and low taxes.

“People need to look at this country and think: yes, something is changing here. You’ve got to set the direction of travel. If we’re going to get out of this little trough and win the election in a couple of years’ time, then we’ve got to develop that.”

His demand for tax cuts comes amid growing unease among Thatcherite Tories about the government’s plans for a rise in national insurance contributions this April, which Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons, pressed Johnson to scrap at cabinet this week.

Frost also criticised the advisers around Johnson and joined the many Tory backbenchers calling for a shake-up of the No 10 team, while insisting he is still the right leader.

“I think he probably needs better support around him in the team to deliver on that. The PM has a right, when he wants something to happen, for the levers that he pulls to actually produce something,” he said.

“And he has the right to the best possible advice around him. So I think there needs to be machinery changes and there probably need to be some different voices around him to make sure that he gets the best possible advice.”

Frost’s successor as chief negotiator with the EU is Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, who warned in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph that she was just as prepared as him to trigger article 16 of the post-Brexit agreement on Northern Ireland if necessary.

Truss said she would suggest “constructive proposals” to her EU counterpart, Maroš Šefčovič, this week during their first face-to-face talks.

However, she said she was “willing” to trigger article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol – a move that would suspend parts of the treaty designed to prevent a hard border with the Republic – if a deal could not be struck.

In response, the EU ambassador to the UK, João Vale de Almeida, said it was “not very helpful that we keep agitating the issue of article 16” and insisted that the EU was “eager to reconnect with the British government”.

Vale de Almeida told Sky News: “We’ve heard this before from the government, so we’re not surprised. We are not too impressed. We still believe it’s not very helpful that we keep agitating the issue of article 16. I think what we should focus on – at least that’s where we are focused on – is trying to find solutions for difficulties in the implementation of the protocol.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
×