BORIS Johnson’s former Brexit minister has warned the Prime Minister has until the autumn to save his premiership.
Lord Frost said that if Mr Johnson failed to set out a clear Conservative vision for the future he faced being ousted by his MPs in a fresh confidence vote.
Mr Johnson scraped through a confidence vote on Monday which was largely driven by the Partygate scandal and his leadership style, but 41 per cent of MPs wanted him out.
Lord Frost, a former close ally of Mr Johnson who resigned over the Government policy, said the PM could not ignore the “depth of opposition” within his own party.
His comments echo those of former Tory leader Lord Hague, who said the scale of the rejection was “devastating” and Mr Johnson should resign.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Lord Frost did not call for the PM to quit, but he did say he was in jeopardy.
He wrote: “Every prime minister has weaknesses and blind spots.
The issue is whether they are able to compensate for them, by having the right people, by taking good advice, and by setting a clear policy direction with broad support.
“Mr Johnson probably has between now and the party conference to show he can do that.”
The conference is being held in the first week of October, less than four months from now.
Earlier this week Lord Frost said Mr Johnson should reverse his plans to raise taxes, which are set to be at their highest level since the 1950s.
The PM said his instinct was to cut taxes, but offered no specific pledges.
Lord Frost, once one of Mr Johnson’s closest advisers but now among his most trenchant critics, said the Government needed a clear “Conservative plan” based on “freedom and individual liberty not collectivism”.
Instead of that, he said the Government looked as if it was constantly at risk of being overwhelmed by a series of crises.
He said: “Like the cockpit of a crashing airliner, the dashboard lights are all flashing red.
The Government has to decide which problems must be dealt with now and which can be left until later.”
He said ministers should focus on reversing tax increases, “credibly” committing to future cuts, slashing VAT on energy bills and opening up fracking.
He also called on Mr Johnson to carry out a Cabinet reshuffle with the appointment of a “serious deputy” who could “design and deliver the strategy”, a dig at the current deputy PM Dominic Raab.
“This is ambitious. I can see why many people think the Prime Minister can’t deliver it. He doesn’t like upsetting people. But any serious plan means making choices,” Lord Frost said.
“Many of us still want him to succeed and will support him if he shows a sense of purpose. But he has to show things will be different now.”
Former Chancellor Lord Hammond said on Wednesday he expected Mr Johnson to be gone before the next general election, which must be held by January 2025.
Although the rules on the Tory leadership currently say that Mr Johnson cannot face another confidence vote for 12 months, they could be changed if MPs want another one.
Calls for new rules are expected to grow if, as expected, the Tories lose two Westminster byelections in Wakefield and Tiverton & Honiton on June 23.
Mr Johnson also faces a report from the Commons privileges committee on whether he misled parliament when he denied there had been parties and rule-breaking in No10.
The Metropolitan Police issued 126 fines to 83, including one to the PM, for breaking lockdown rules in and around Downing Street during the pandemic lockdown.
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