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We have entered the era of political appointments at the highest level of the UK government (yes I know Frost was also a political appointment as our EU negotiator, but that was a new role). https://twitter.com/ChrisMasonBBC/status/1277288562438942727
It is noticeable how few people are trusted and how many suspect within the Johnson inner circle. That's the Cabinet Secretary, and Permanent Secs at Home Office and FCO gone in a few months. But an inner team unchanged despite the UKs lamentable covid performance.
So many questions. Who leads EU talks after August? Is Frost going to take a role on wider trade talks? (almost certainly). Is this going to be an attempt to run all trade talks from Number 10? (quite possibly). https://twitter.com/nick_gutteridge/status/1277292832714260480
Frost new role follows a central contradiction of the Gove speech much discussed earlier in the day - between the need for change and the lack of trust in anyone else to deliver it. To which the answer seems to be a small "vanguard of the proletariat" in Number 10.
What if the people to whom you wish to devolve power do not want to do the things you want to do, which increasingly as we have seen in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, they do not?
Incidentally the sharp eyed will notice I make no comment on the firing of Sedwill and promotion of Frost to one part of the job, on their suitability or not. Governments will decide, we can judge the process, and in time, the results.
A minister but not a minister? https://twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/1277313055832055808
Not surprisingly senior FCO staff unhappy with the new National Security Advisor (some of which will of course be jealousy), + trade types unconvinced of being NSA and head of EU trade talks (plus clear threat to DIT). Number 10 may be pleased with this. https://twitter.com/SebastianEPayne/status/1277323833796673536
Confusion from one long-standing expert on the civil service https://twitter.com/ukcivilservant/status/1277325470644781058
