Truss to take on Brexit brief in wake of Lord Frost departure

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is to be UK’s lead post-Brexit negotiator following the resignation of Brexit minister Lord Frost.

Truss will retain her role as foreign minister and minister for women and equalities.

Her main responsibility in her new role will be the Northern Ireland Protocol talks.

The Protocol was implemented to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the wake of Brexit by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market for goods.

Although not mentioned in his letter of resignation published on Saturday, Boris Johnson’s retreat from the threat to trigger “Article 16” of the Brexit agreement, which would suspend parts of the trade deal agreed for Northern Ireland, is considered to have contributed to Frost’s departure.

The UK’s proposals under Frost included changing the legal basis of the Protocol to that of a Treaty governed by international law, not EU law policed by the European Court of Justice.

The current Protocol, he told the Conservative party conference in October, meant the EU could “make laws which apply in Northern Ireland without any kind of democratic scrutiny or discussion.

This development is hence a blow to unionists in Northern Ireland. Frost’s replacement with former Remainer Truss, it is now less likely that the UK will seek a radically reformed Brexit agreement.

Frost’s resignation is another severe blow for the PM who leads a deeply beleaguered Downing Street. Just this week, Mr Johnson experienced a Commons rebellion of 100 Conservative MPs over the Plan B measures and a humiliating loss in the North Shropshire by-election, a once-safe consistency with a 23,000 majority.