Lord David Frost, the chief Brexit negotiator, has succinctly summed up Boris Johnson's role in the UK's departure from the European Union in three words: “No and no.” When asked if the 2016 referendum could have been won and Brexit delivered without Johnson's efforts as a campaigner and prime minister, Frost gave that definitive answer.
Johnson's Unique Energy and Vision
Frost argued that the former Mayor of London was “crucial” in persuading voters who might not have backed Leave, offering a “different vision for the country and how it could prosper in the world.” Johnson ensured the campaign was about more than just opposition to immigration, reaching across party lines to transform the country. Despite quitting Johnson's government in 2021, Frost retains respect for his colleague, stating: “Whatever Boris's other failings, as became apparent later, he's still a compelling political figure, and I don't think anybody else could have done it, to be honest.”
Brexit's Legacy and Future Threats
Frost is confident that if there were a second referendum on EU membership, voters would again choose to stay out. He suspects Labour could adopt a rejoin position if its support base shrinks to the “metro-progressive Left.” He said: “It's obvious everybody in the Labour Party wants to rejoin the EU. The only thing that stops them is public opinion and their sense of what was politically possible, given their voting base.”
Former Labour MP Baroness Hoey shares these concerns, warning: “Labour knows that they can't actually say at this stage that we’re going to rejoin but that's on the horizon. I mean, they really want to rejoin.” She noted that veterans of the first Brexit campaign are preparing to defend Britain's position outside the bloc, adding: “I think the public still know that it was the right thing to do even if perhaps it wasn't executed in the best way possible.”
Parliamentary Resistance and Democratic Victory
Brexiteers recall fierce opposition in Parliament after the referendum. Frost said: “I think we didn't realise how much resistance there would be, certainly from the Left of British politics, but also from much of the mainstream Conservative party [who] clearly didn't want to leave… It was a dramatic period, particularly those last few months, when both sides were playing to win outright – us to get the sort of Brexit we wanted, and I think the other side, as we now know, to get a second referendum or even cancel the project entirely.” He added: “And they lost, and rightly so, because it was the biggest referendum, the biggest act of democracy the country has ever had. And I think it would have been disastrous for the country's constitution and sense of wellbeing if this could just have been ignored.”
Thriving Outside the EU
Baroness Hoey remains convinced Britain can thrive outside the EU with the right spirit. She said: “We can blame the EU for the horrible deal that we got and our own politicians for accepting that deal. But I think we have it in our own capacity now to really make the United Kingdom a world power in terms of the economy if we take the right decisions and if we've got a government that actually believes in Brexit.”
Frost is not alarmed by recent political turbulence, arguing the country is learning to make laws for itself again after decades inside the EU. He concluded: “Brexit was a project about self-government, about giving powers back to the British Parliament and the British voters to debate and choose how they wanted the country to be governed. And in that respect, it’s been a great success.”
