UK's Brexit minister resigns in a blow to PM

Frost's departure shows govt is 'in total chaos' while country faces uncertainty

A high-profile member of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's United Kingdom government has resigned in protest against Downing Street's "direction of travel".

David Frost, who led negotiations around the UK's exit from the European Union and who was seen as one of Johnson's most hawkish supporters, said in his resignation letter he did not like the government's response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Mail on Sunday newspaper said he resigned a week ago, but the news was not immediately made public. Frost had intended to leave office in January, but, after his pending exit was made public, said he would go with immediate effect.

He wrote: "Brexit is now secure... I hope we will move as fast as possible to where we need to get to: a lightly regulated, low-tax, entrepreneurial economy, at the cutting edge of modern science and economic change."

Frost's resignation followed a series of setbacks for the prime minister that include renewed criticism of his acceptance of a loan to redecorate his Downing Street apartment and his subsequent inadequate declaration of that loan, the Conservative Party's loss of one of its safest Parliamentary seats in the North Shropshire that the party had held for 200 years, and a revolt by around 100 Conservative Party members of Parliament who opposed stricter anti-virus measures.

Sky News said Frost's departure "marks the end of potentially the worst week of Boris Johnson's premiership".

The Evening Standard newspaper quoted Andrew Bridgen, a Conservative Party MP, as saying:" (Boris Johnson is) running out of time and out of friends to deliver on the promises and discipline of a true Conservative government".

Bridgen tweeted: "Lord Frost has made it clear, 100 Conservative backbenchers have made it clear, but most importantly so did the people of North Shropshire."

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday Frost had been an "outstanding public servant" and that he had "resigned out of principle... and we have to respect that".

But he said Frost was wrong to think the spread of the Omicron variant of the virus that causes the COVID-19 could be slowed without restrictions.

The BBC said Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of the UK's official opposition, the Labour Party, said Frost's resignation showed government was "in total chaos right when the country faces an uncertain few weeks".

Frost had been under huge pressure in recent months to find solutions to issues that have arisen since the UK left the EU. The Northern Ireland Protocol was at the top of that list.

The protocol, which aims to avoid a re-flaring of sectarian tension on the island of Ireland by not having a hard border between the UK province of Northern Ireland and EU member the Republic of Ireland, has failed to work.

Frost, who negotiated the protocol in the first place, had been engaged in protracted negotiations with the EU to try to fix it, but seemed a long way from finding solutions.

Many people on the island of Ireland will be looking to see who replaces Frost, and whether that person can rescue the situation he has left behind.