Former Brexit negotiator Lord Frost has received backlash for telling Conservative MPs to rally around Liz Truss, the Remain-voting former Libeal Democrat.
Frost became popular with many among the Conservative Party’s increasingly disenfranchised activist and supporter base due to his having resigned from the Boris Johnson administration over its high-tax, net zero policies.
His association with Brexit has also burnished his credentials — despite the fact the deals he made with the European Union were essentially no different than the “surrender” agreements put forward by Theresa May, and he has conceded the EU should have a permanent say over the governance of Northern Ireland post-Brexit.
However, while an earlier intervention in the race to replace Boris Johnson as Tory leader — and, by extension, Prime Minister — to say woke candidate Penny Mordaunt was not up to her previous job as his deputy was welcomed by right-wingers, his endorsement of Remain-voting former Liberal Democrat activist Liz Truss for leader and call for conservative Kemi Badenoch to step aside has seen some party figures push back against him.
“I don’t wish to be rude BUT who the hell is an unelected, failed Minister to tell any MP what to do?” demanded Simon Hoare, chairman of the Northern Ireland Select Committee in Parliament, in a social media post.
“For some unknown reason David Frost perpetually thinks we give a flying xxxx what he thinks. We don’t and we won’t,” he added bluntly.
I don’t wish to be rude BUT who the hell is an unelected, failed Minister to tell any MP what to do? For some unknown reason David Frost perpetually thinks we give a flying xxxx what he thinks. We don’t and we won’t https://t.co/7PC7Q2fshr
— Simon Hoare MP (@Simon4NDorset) July 15, 2022
Frost had “urge[d] Kemi to stand down in return for a serious job in a Truss administration”, echoing a call from of Mark Francois, chairman of the European Research Group (ERG) of Brexiteer MPs, for colleagues to rally to the Remainer’s banner.
Francois, too, received backlash for pushing Tory MPs to back Truss, who far from being a low-key Remainer was a key player in George Osborne’s ‘Project Fear’ campaign to browbeat the public into voting against Brexit with threats of dire financial consequences during the 2016 referendum.
“MPs in this Group will make up their own minds,” responded Andrew Lewer in the ERG’s WhatsApp group.
“I believe Kemi, who actually supported Brexit, represents the best chance for many of us holding our seats,” he said.
“This weekend’s televsion debates will, I believe, further demonstrate why.”
🚨EXCL: Mega row in the ERG Tory WhatsApp as Mark Francois tells MPs to support Liz Truss – but others would rather back Kemi Badenoch pic.twitter.com/jxNrgzY33o
— Jack Elsom (@JackElsom) July 15, 2022
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