Boris Johnson has drafted in an unelected bureaucrat to manage the UK’s new relationship with a union which was commonly described as being “governed by unelected bureaucrats” by opponents.
Lord David Frost will seek to maximise post-Brexit trading opportunities when he becomes a full cabinet member next month, Downing Street said.
He will also replace Michael Gove as co-chair of a committee on implementing the Brexit withdrawal deal.
Mr Gove will keep his seat at the cabinet table.
But the appointment has raised eyebrows on the opposition benches, with Labour’s shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry tweeting: “So we’ve finally got one minister taking a grip of the problems with our post-Brexit trading relationships with Europe.
“Someone who has never been elected by anyone in this country, and won’t be accountable in the House of Commons to any of us who have.”
Others have also taken a dim view of the situation. Here’s some of the early reaction:
I thought it would be a good laugh to make unelected bureaucrat, Lord Frost, responsible for our relationship with the EU.
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) February 17, 2021
Say what you like about Brexiters, they sure got rid of those unelected bureaucrats. https://t.co/HJ4K1bIP5x
— James O’Brien (@mrjamesob) February 17, 2021
Turns out Gove is a fan of unelected bureaucrats being handed power… pic.twitter.com/ORiO1Z6GaE
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) February 17, 2021
Great. More of these unelected guys enacting the alleged will of the people. #takingbackcontrol https://t.co/BVj9brnqy2
— Michael Moran (@TheMichaelMoran) February 17, 2021
Parliament has 650 elected members, 803 unelected members, and now we’re making unelected people into actual ministers, with no accountability to the public whatsoever.
— Russ (@RussInCheshire) February 17, 2021
Cos we’re a democracy or summat https://t.co/GkAOOylzT2
Unelected bureaucrat, David Frost becomes cabinet minister to navigate consequences of project that promised to rid us of…
— Marina Purkiss (@MarinaNigrelli) February 17, 2021
UNELECTED BUREAUCRATS
Obvs https://t.co/KEJZZlrNeI
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