Lord Frost was tasked with the Brexit negotiating process and had become fed up with the back-and- forth over the Northern Ireland protocol and fishing licenses disputes. Mariya Gabriel, the European Union's Commissioner for Innovation and Research, said back in October that Britain could not join the Horizon Europe programme until these issues were resolved.
This may have proved too long a wait for Lord Frost, who repeatedly tried to resolve these issues with European Vice - Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, even though he was not the only reason for his departure. There were few talks in the many rounds of talks, with neither side agreeing to compromise. The science community believes that Britain s suspension from Horizon Europe, which would bring a big boost to research and innovation projects that could access the huge pool of European funding, was damaging the UK science sector minute by minute. Lord Frost was furious with the EU for having to raise the ban, pointing out that Britain s inclusion in Horizon Europe was part of the Brexit deal and a feature of the EU UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement TCA. He told the House of Lords last month: "We agreed to pay a contribution of 15 billion over seven years."
The TCA is clear that the UK will participate and the relevant protocol will be adopted, that is an obligation. If it became clear that the EU will not deliver that obligation, then we will regard them as in breach of Article 710 of the TCA. One month later Lord Frost gave up. The EU's negotiators seem pleased with the departure of the former negotiator. One European diplomat reportedly told The Times: This is a great present, Frosty has melted at last. Is there a thaw in Downing Street? Lord Frost has previously been described as an enemy of the bloc. The diplomat said it would be good if a new negotiator could turn the page and root the relationship firmly in mutual interest. That would require getting Brexit done and dispensing with legacy issues quickly and pragmatically instead of artificially making Brexit last. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will be filling the Lord Frost negotiating position. READ MORE: Covid horror as anOTHER new variant discovered in France