Lord Frost reveals he’s in talks about standing to be a Tory MP – as he’s tipped for Cabinet role
Former Brexit chief Lord Frost – who is tipped for a Cabinet role in a Liz Truss government – has revealed he’s in talks about standing to be a Tory MP.
The Conservative peer admitted he was ‘ambivalent’ about being in the House of Lords as he spoke of his plans to move to the elected chamber.
The 57-year-old is holding discussions with Conservative associations about where in the county he could run for a seat in the House of Commons.
Lord Frost is reportedly in line for a return to the Cabinet if Ms Truss replaces Boris Johnson as Prime Minister next week.
He has been touted as the new Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – giving him huge power at the centre of Government – should the Foreign Secretary win the Tory leadership contest.
Lord Frost told The House magazine he was ‘still making my mind up’ about a possible bid to become an MP.
‘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,’ he said.
Lord Frost admitted he was ‘ambivalent’ about being in the House of Lords as he spoke of his plans to move to the elected chamber
The peer has been touted as the new Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – giving him huge power at the centre of Government – should Liz Truss win the Tory leadership contest
Lord Frost previously held a Cabinet role under Mr Johnson – before he quit the Government last year – but suggested he would not want to repeat being a top minister while remaining in the House of Lords.
‘I don’t think our system works very well for prolonged periods of time when a senior minister is not in the elected House,’ he added.
‘It’s fundamental fairness… that’s how the constitution works.’
Lord Frost popular with the Conservatives’ grassroots and has recently been vocal about issues such as climate change.
He served as the PM’s chief Brexit negotiator before being given a Cabinet job in March last year.
But the peer later quit his role with a swipe at the ‘direction of travel’ of Mr Johnson’s administration on Covid restrictions, net-zero ambitions and tax rises.
Lord Frost admitted a feeling of being ‘stymied’ in discussions about Brexit policy also led to his resignation.
‘I was definitely arguing internally for a more robust approach to these questions, and getting stymied a bit,’ he told the magazine
‘Would that have forced me out on its own? Not necessarily, I think I felt we were still pushing and doing the right thing.’
Lord Frost is supporting Ms Truss in the Tory leadership contest and has hailed the Foreign Secretary for understanding a ‘need for radical change’.
He also helped to derail her rival Penny Mordaunt’s leadership campaign last month.
Lord Frost claimed Ms Mordaunt was ‘absent on parade’ when he worked with her in Government.
He revealed how he asked Mr Johnson to ‘move her on and find someone else to support me’ during his negotiations with the EU.