One of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s former top advisors has warned that he will only survive politically if the government returns to conservative values and finally deliver on the promises of Brexit.
Lord David Frost, the UK government’s former top Brexit negotiator with the European Union, who resigned earlier this year over Boris Johnson’s left-wing lurch, has warned the PM that in order to save his premiership, he will have to start demonstrating to Conservative voters that he can deliver on the traditional values of the party.
According to The Telegraph, Lord David told Mr Johnson that despite narrowly surviving a vote of no-confidence from his own party, he only feasibly has until the Autumn to turn around his fate or face being consigned to the history books.
Writing in the Tory Party-aligned broadsheet, Frost said: “At the moment the Government risks looking overwhelmed by crises. Like the cockpit of a crashing airliner, the dashboard lights are all flashing red. The Government has to decide which problems must be dealt with now and which can be left until later. That means a plan: a strategy.”
The former Brexit chief laid out a laundry list of suggestions for the Johnson administration to fulfil the conservative mission, most importantly reversing the tax hikes which were ushered in following years of government lockdowns during the Chinese coronavirus crisis resulting in the highest tax burden on the British public in over seven decades.
Brexit Minister Frost Resigns over Boris Johnson’s Tax Hikes, Lockdown Lunacy https://t.co/HLES5xauqs
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 19, 2021
In addition to rolling back the tax increases, Frost argued that Johnson will have to immediately lift the ‘Value Added’ Tax on energy and “credibly commit to future cuts” in other areas, arguing that voters want to see the government lead in a “conservative way, not in a high-cost high-spend collectivist way.”
He said that the Prime Minister should also look to take advantage of leaving the European Union by slashing tariffs and trade barriers to immediately provide the public with cheaper imports amid the cost of living crisis as well as eliminating EU-inspired laws that are still on the books despite having left the bloc over two years ago. Frost said that the government should also reject European-style internet censorship and “fillet” the impending Online Harms Bill in order to protect free speech.
Finally, Frost called for the government to release a “10-year Conservative plan” which he said should be “based on freedom and individual liberty not collectivism: smaller government, a freer housing market, an energy strategy that reduces carbon emissions but prioritises security of supply, reformed education, a modernised NHS, benefits paid only to those who need them, rewards for those who save, including for pensions, a reformed Civil Service and a stronger Union.”
“Mr Johnson has been granted the right to give the Government a fresh start. He deserves that opportunity when one looks at all he has done for the country since becoming prime minister. But he needs to get a move on,” Frost wrote.
Notably absent from Lord David’s list of suggestions was clamping down on illegal immigration, which is continually setting new records and has the possibility of becoming a political albatross for Johnson, according to figures such as Brexit’s Nigel Farage.
Rather than following such advice, following the confidence vote on Monday, the Prime Minister’s government has been focussing on traditionally left-wing issues, such as nanny-state regulations on smoking, providing a path for those on welfare benefits to use taxpayer money to purchase homes, and reforms for the country’s socialised healthcare system.
The government has also reportedly ruled out the idea of cutting taxes in the October budget over concerns about inflation and the massive government debt racked up during lockdown.
Boris Doubles Down on Tax Rises, ‘Absolutely Vital’ to Take More to Pay for Covid Policies https://t.co/weCJTAqKwq
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) January 27, 2022
Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter here @KurtZindulka
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