Frost’s departure offers hope of thaw in Horizon Europe impasse

Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform think-tank, said the recent resignation of Lord Frost as the Cabinet minister responsible for negotiating with Brussels could help mend relations.

“With David Frost’s departure, there’s at least a chance of a bit of a reset in the EU-UK relationship, because people in Brussels reckoned so long as he was there they couldn’t have a much better relationship,” Mr Grant said.

He argued that while foreign secretary Liz Truss – the UK’s new EU relations lead – would “play tough to the gallery initially”, she would “try to get a deal fairly soon” on the Northern Ireland protocol. He said the UK would likely want to seal a deal at least a month before elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly in early May, to avoid pre-election restrictions.

“Even before David Frost resigned there were signs of the British softening their position by saying that they didn’t insist that the European Court of Justice be taken out of the equation altogether in the protocol,” Mr Grant said. “If I’m right that the British want to reach a deal with Northern Ireland, that holds up hope for Horizon.”