Boris Johnson speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons in London on Wednesday. EPA
Boris Johnson speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons in London on Wednesday. EPA
Boris Johnson speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons in London on Wednesday. EPA
Boris Johnson speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons in London on Wednesday. EPA

Boris Johnson has until autumn to save his job, says Lord Frost


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has until autumn to set out a clear Conservative vision for the future or face being removed by his own MPs, his former Brexit minister, Lord David Frost, has warned.

Mr Frost said Mr Johnson could not afford to ignore the “depth of opposition” he faces within his own party after surviving a bruising vote of confidence on Monday.

He said the biggest problem now facing the government was not the issue of lockdown parties in Downing Street, but that voters did not understand what it was trying to do, he wrote in The Daily Telegraph.

“Every prime minister has weaknesses and blind spots," Mr Frost said.

"The issue is whether they are able to compensate for them, by having the right people, by taking good advice and by setting a clear policy direction with broad support.

Mr Johnson probably has between now and the party conference to show he can do that."

Mr Johnson earlier tried to set his premiership back on track with a keynote speech in which he reaffirmed his commitment to cut taxes and set out plans to extend the right-to-buy housing scheme.

Boris Johnson through the years - in pictures

Mr Frost, who was once one of Mr Johnson’s closest advisers but is now among his hardest critics, said the government needed a plan based on “freedom and individual liberty, not collectivism”.

He said it looked like the government was constantly at risk of being overwhelmed by crises it was having to deal with.

“Like the cockpit of a crashing airliner, the dashboard lights are all flashing red," Mr Frost said.

"The government has to decide which problems must be dealt with now and which can be left until later."

Who will replace Boris Johnson if he leaves? Video

He said the ministers should focus on reversing tax increases, “credibly” committing to future cuts, slashing VAT on energy bills and opening up fracking.

Mr Frost also called on Mr Johnson to carry out a Cabinet reshuffle with the appointment of a “serious deputy” who could “design and deliver the strategy”.

“This is ambitious. I can see why many people think the prime minister can’t deliver it. He doesn’t like upsetting people. But any serious plan means making choices,” he said.

“Many of us still want him to succeed and will support him if he shows a sense of purpose. But he has to show things will be different now.”

Vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson – in pictures

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

Teams

Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq

Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi

Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag

Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC

Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC

Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan

Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes

Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Power: 640hp

Torque: 760nm

On sale: 2026

Price: Not announced yet

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Dubai World Cup Carnival card

6.30pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m

7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m

8.15pm: Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m

8.50pm: Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m

9.25pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m

The National selections

6.30pm: Final Song

7.05pm: Pocket Dynamo

7.40pm: Dubai Icon

8.15pm: Dubai Legacy

8.50pm: Drafted

9.25pm: Lucius Tiberius

Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage

Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid 

Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed

Power: 271 and 409 horsepower

Torque: 385 and 650Nm

Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Updated: June 10, 2022, 12:37 AM`