Westminster is still agog with gossip over Lord Frost’s latest bid to become an MP. Why is he doing it? What’s his plan? Does the former Brexit minister fancy his chances with a run for PM, should the vacancy arise, either before or after the next general election?
If Frosty, as he’s nick-named, were to win a seat, his direction of travel is fairly clear: he’s been outspoken about how Net Zero will impoverish the nation and been equally loquacious about taking on the woke warriors.
Yet there is still some mystery over how Lord Frost will be able to switch from the Lords to the Commons. As a life peer, he is permitted under the House of Lords Reform Act 2014 act to either resign or retire his peerage but not renounce the title: only hereditary peers can do that. He would be the first peer to do so under the act.
What no one is quite sure about is whether Lord Frost has to resign before he goes ahead and puts his name formally on the list of Conservative candidates for the next election. Indeed, some observers say he must resign his peerage first before being considered by the party as a potential candidate.
To date, Lord Frost has said he is ready to drop his peerage in hope of securing a Commons seat, but only if he could secure a safe constituency. That sounds as though he will only give up his ermine if he knows he has a safe seat to play for. Some wags suggest that he’s not serious – that he will only resign if he is given a seat with a comfortable majority. Otherwise, why give up such a prestigious role?
This is what he said in his statement: “I am grateful to the party authorities for accepting my application as a potential Conservative candidate for the House of Commons, the centre of our national political life.
“I have not yet applied for any seat and am considering my next steps. Meanwhile I look forward to campaigning for the party and for Conservative principles in the months to come.”
Does this suggest that Frost is also not sure which way around he has to apply? Resign first? Or get selected for a seat – the super safe seat of Mid-Derbyshire is being touted – and then resign once safely chosen? As no one seems to know what the protocol is, the Hound contacted Conservative Central Office to find out. But a press spokesman would only say: “The Conservative Party does not comment on internal matters.” This sounds pretty weird to us – surely it’s a constitutional issue not only an internal one? Either way, we should be told.
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