Boris Johnson has appointed his chief Brexit negotiator Lord David Frost to the Cabinet.
The peer, who led Brexit talks with EU opposite number Michel Barnier on both the withdrawal agreement and trade and cooperation agreement, will work as a minister in the Cabinet Office under Michael Gove.
He will be a “full member” of the Cabinet, Downing Street said, and will focus on “domestic reform and regulation to maximise on the opportunities of Brexit”.
The former civil servant has long been an ally of Johnson, who first hired him as a special adviser when serving as foreign secretary in 2016.
When Johnson took over as prime minister in 2019, he hired Frost as a special adviser and his chief Brexit negotiator, and last year handed him a peerage.
Frost said he was “hugely honoured” to be promoted to the Cabinet and will do the job “standing on the shoulders of giants and particularly those of Michael Gove”.
I am hugely honoured to have been appointed Minister to take forward our relationship with the EU after Brexit.
In doing so I stand on the shoulders of giants & particularly those of @michaelgove who did an extraordinary job for this country in talks with EU over the past year.
— David Frost (@DavidGHFrost) February 17, 2021
Frost will lead the UK’s institutional and strategic relationship with the EU, including on international trade and economic issues.
He will also chair the UK side of the partnership council which will oversee the trade agreement, and the joint committee which will preside over the withdrawal agreement.
It comes amid concern about how the operation of both deals is affecting businesses and creative industries in the UK.
And it comes amid ongoing negotiations over Northern Ireland’s status after the Brexit transition ended on December 31.
Frost’s appointment will take effect from March 1.
