British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is to take over responsibility for the UK’s future relationship with the EU, Downing Street has said, after the resignation of Brexit minister Lord David Frost.
Mr Frost resigned with “immediate effect” on Saturday night, having earlier agreed with Prime Minister Boris Johnson that he would leave his job in January.
He said he was leaving because of “the current direction of travel” of the government, fears over “coercive” Covid measures and the wish for the UK to become a “lightly regulated, low-tax” economy.
Mr Frost’s departure was called a “watershed moment” in an extremely damaging week for Mr Johnson.
Downing Street said Ms Truss would take over ministerial responsibility for the UK-EU relationship, and would lead negotiations to resolve problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol.
She changed from being pro-Remain advocate to an avid Brexiteer after the referendum in 2016.
Ms Truss consistently polls as the most popular Cabinet minister with Tory members, and has been tipped as a future leadership contender.
Mr Frost on Monday defended his decision, saying he stepped down because he could not support the government’s “coercive policies on Covid”.
He said he and the prime minister had “never disagreed in any way" about Brexit policy.
“I left the government because, as I think is well-known, I couldn’t support certain policies, most recently on the Covid restrictions and Plan B,” he told Sky News.
“And if you’re a minister you have to support collective responsibility, you have to support decisions of the government and I couldn’t, so that’s why I had to leave.”
He insisted his decision was not because he disapproved of Mr Johnson’s leadership, saying the UK has a “great future” ahead of it under the prime minister “if we can get the policies right”.
Mr Frost said he had originally intended to leave the government in the new year but decided to bring forward the move in light of the government’s recent Plan B restrictions, which include vaccine passports for nightclubs. Unvaccinated patrons have to show a negative Covid test to gain entry to clubs.
Meanwhile, Chris Heaton-Harris will move from the Department for Transport to become Europe minister and will stand in for Ms Truss when needed.
Aldridge-Brownhills MP Wendy Morton will move from being Europe and Americas Minister to replace Mr Heaton-Harris at the transport department.
Mr Frost’s shock resignation piled more pressure on the prime minister.
Tobias Ellwood, Tory MP from Bournemouth East and chairman of the House of Commons defence select committee, said many Conservative colleagues shared Mr Frost’s desire for “a consistency of where we want to go”.
“I think this is what perhaps unites more and more of the wider party," Mr Ellwood told Times Radio.
"And we’ve seen this since the Owen Paterson debacle that it needs to be clarity of our vision, there needs to be a consistency of where we want to go, people need to be included, the decision-making in No 10 needs to be improved.
Mr Paterson held the seat of North Shropshire for the Conservatives for 24 years until he was found to have breached lobbying rules over two companies paying him and resigned.
“We need an, almost like a wartime leader, we need a strong No 10, and the machinery of No 10 around Boris Johnson, that’s what needs to be improved," Mr Ellwood said.
“The booster-ism, the energy, is not enough in these current circumstances alone.”
Peter Bone, MP for Wellingborough, echoed Mr Paterson's views.
“Boris has led this country exceptionally well but what comes next? And that’s what I think Lord Frost is talking about," he told Sky News.
“I think part of that rebellion of 100 Conservative MPs was partly due to the fact that we want to see the Prime Minister move to a more conservative agenda in future.”
Mr Bone also said he agreed with Mr Frost’s concerns over the prospect of “coercive measures” to control the coronavirus.
“I’ve cancelled all in-person meetings and the get-together with staff, I cancelled," he said.
“I won’t be going to crowded places but leave that up to the individual to make that decision, don’t have the state telling me what I have to do every day, and so in that regard, yes, I’m with Lord Frost on that.”
Meanwhile, chairman of the Northern Ireland affairs committee, Simon Hoare, said the issues flagged by Mr Frost were the same that had been raised by “at least one potential leadership candidate”.
“I do just wonder whether he’s acting as a bit of an outrider for them, I’m just not sure,” Mr Hoare told BBC Radio 4.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid defended the prime minister. “I think Boris Johnson is the best person to take us through the challenges the country faces,” he told Sky News.
He said he also understood why Mr Frost had resigned and called him a “principled” man.
Mr Ellwood said Mr Frost's resignation was an opportunity to “press the reset button with the EU”.
“We’re still not out of the woods with the Northern Ireland Protocol and we have some rather larger decisions and challenges, which actually unite both the EU, Europe and Britain,” he said.
“As much as I think this is going to be seen as a hit for the government – he was a critical character that’s been with Boris Johnson from the very start when it comes to Brexit – this is a chance for us actually to sort of move forward on our relationship with the EU."
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Lecce v SPAL (6pm)
Bologna v Genoa (9pm)
Atlanta v Roma (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Hellas Verona (3.30pm)
Juventus v Brescia (6pm)
Sampdoria v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sassuolo v Parma (6pm)
Cagliari v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Torino (11.45pm)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
The%20specs
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
