Lord Frost Is In Talks About Standing To Be A Conservative MP
Lord Frost arrives at the Churchill War Rooms in Westminster (Alamy)
2 min read
Exclusive: Former Brexit negotiator Lord Frost is speaking to Conservative associations about standing to be a Tory MP.
In an interview with The House magazine, which will be published next month, Frost said he was "ambivalent" about being in the House of Lords and had spent several months discussing where in the country he could potentially stand as a Conservative Party parliamentary candidate.
“I’m still making my mind up about it," said Frost.
"If you are going to be in politics where you actually have a finger on the buttons of power then you should really be elected."
Frost is a popular figure within large parts of the Conservative Party and has been urged by some Tory MPs to consider running at the next general election.
The peer has endorsed Liz Truss in the race to succeed Boris Johnson as Tory leader and Prime Minister, and has even been linked with a job in her Cabinet if, as expected, she is victorious on 5 September.
Frost suggested that if he was appointed to Cabinet, he would look to become an MP.
“I don’t think our system works very well for prolonged periods of time when a senior minister is not in the elected house. It’s fundamental fairness… that’s how the constitution works," he said.
Frost led the UK's post-Brexit negotiations with the European Union up until late last year, and won plaudits among Leave-voting Tory MPs for his approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol, which was widely described as hardline.
He spectacularly resigned from this Cabinet Office position in December, however, citing his opposition to the government's policy direction and "coercive" coronavirus policies.
In his interview with The House, he admitted that a feeling of being "stymied" in government discussions about Brexit policy also played a part in his decision to quit.
"I was definitely arguing internally for a more robust approach to these questions, and getting stymied a bit," he said.
"Would that have forced me out on its own?
"Not necessarily, I think I felt we were still pushing and doing the right thing."
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