David Frost, Baron Frost

David George Hamilton Frost, Baron Frost, CMG (born 21 February 1965) is a Special Adviser and former British civil servant serving as the Prime Minister's Europe Adviser and Chief Negotiator of Task Force Europe,[1][2] at the Cabinet Office.[3][4][5][6][7] He previously served as Special Adviser to Boris Johnson when he was Foreign Secretary.

Not to be confused with David Frost.

The Right Honourable

The Lord Frost

CMG
United Kingdom National Security Adviser
Assuming office
September 2020
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
SucceedingSir Mark Sedwill
Prime Minister's Europe Adviser
Assumed office
24 July 2019
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded bySir Olly Robbins
Chief Negotiator of Task Force Europe
Assumed office
31 January 2020
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Opposite numberMichel Barnier
Preceded bySir Olly Robbins (Chief Negotiator for Exiting the European Union)
British Ambassador to Denmark
In office
2006–2008
MonarchElizabeth II
Preceded byNicholas Browne
Succeeded byNick Archer
Personal details
Born
David George Hamilton Frost

(1965-02-21) 21 February 1965
Derby, England
NationalityBritish
Alma materSt John's College, Oxford
ProfessionCivil servant; diplomat
Awards CMG

Frost spent most of his earlier professional career as a British diplomat, including as HM Ambassador to Denmark, EU Director at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and Director for Europe and International Trade at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS).[8]

It was announced in June 2020 that David Frost will take over from Sir Mark Sedwill as National Security Adviser in September and receive a life peerage.[9]

Early life

Frost was born in Derby and was educated at Nottingham High School as a free scholar from 1976 to 1983, before going to St. John's College, Oxford,[8] where he achieved a First-Class degree (MA) in French and History. His studies focused on medieval European History and medieval French.[10]

Diplomatic career

Frost joined the Foreign Office in 1987, and shortly after was posted to the British High Commission in Nicosia where he learned Greek and was responsible for covering Greek Cypriot politics and the Cyprus problem. In 1993, he was posted to the UK Representation to the EU in Brussels as First Secretary for Economic and Financial Affairs, where he worked on issues such as the EU Budget, the economic and financial implications of enlargement to Central Europe, and the Euro. He was then posted to the UK Mission to the United Nations in New York, where he covered Human Rights and Social and Economic Affairs.[8]

Frost returned to London to be successively the Private Secretary to the Head of the Diplomatic Service, Sir John (now Lord) Kerr, and Deputy Head of the European Union External Department, covering international trade policy issues and relations with the Balkans and Eastern Europe.[8]

Frost was promoted Economic Counsellor to the British Embassy, Paris in 2001, where he was responsible for reporting and lobbying on all aspects of French economic and commercial life, together with its EU policy. He returned to London to be Head of the EU (Internal) Department and then Director for the European Union in the Foreign Office. In this period he led work on a range of economic and social issues, notably the resistance to the initial Working Time Directive, and the negotiation on the EU's multi-annual Budget framework. He was part of the UK's leadership team during its EU Presidency in 2005.[8]

From May 2006 until October 2008, Frost was the British Ambassador to Denmark and was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 2006 Birthday Honours. He was then Director for Strategy and Policy Planning in the Foreign Office from October 2008 to October 2010, before being seconded to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills where he served three years as Director for Europe, Trade, and International Affairs, Britain's most senior trade policy official.[8][11][12]

Post-diplomatic career

Frost left HM Diplomatic Service in 2013 to become CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association, a major trade association.[11] Following the appointment of Boris Johnson as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Frost was taken on as HM Foreign Secretary's special adviser in November 2016,[13][14] serving until Johnson left post in July 2018.[8]

In early 2019, Frost became CEO of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.[15] He has also served as a public commentator on the European Union, global economic and commercial issues, and multilateral diplomacy, as a member of the Advisory Council of the EU think tank Open Europe,[8] and as an advisor on Brexit to the devolved Scottish Government in Edinburgh.[14]

National Security Adviser

On 28 June 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he had nominated Frost for a life peerage and as National Security Adviser, succeeding Sir Mark Sedwill.[16] The Financial Times reported that this was unpopular with military and security services, who felt Frost was underqualified.[17] The appointment received criticism from former Cabinet Secretary Gus O'Donnell and former National Security Adviser Peter Ricketts due to concerns that the civil service's impartiality was being eroded by appointing a special adviser to the post.[18] The appointment was also criticised by former prime minister Theresa May in parliament, who highlighted the political nature of the appointment, and that Frost does not have proven expertise in national security. [19]

On 12 August 2020 he was created Baron Frost, of Allenton in the County of Derbyshire.[20]

Personal life

In March 2020 Frost displayed "mild symptoms" of COVID-19 and began self-isolating.[21]

See also

References
  1. @Number10press (17 February 2020). "The negotiations on the UK's future relationship with the EU are led by Task Force Europe, a team within No 10 who report directly into the Prime Minister. Follow this account for updates" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 February 2020 – via Twitter.
  2. Woodcock, Andrew (27 January 2020). "Brexit: New Task Force Europe to lead EU trade negotiations as UK leaves bloc". Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  3. Parker, George (15 January 2020). "Boris Johnson puts faith in Brexit supporter David Frost". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  4. Zeffman, Henry (29 December 2019). "Boris Johnson to unveil Taskforce Europe". The Times. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  5. Cowburn, Ashley (29 December 2019). "Brexit: Boris Johnson 'to launch Taskforce Europe' negotiating team in charge of future relationship talks with EU". The Independent. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  6. Honeycombe-Foster, Matt (29 December 2019). "Boris Johnson 'to take charge of EU trade talks' with new 'Taskforce Europe'". PoliticsHome. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  7. Vaughan, Richard (29 December 2019). "Brexit, Cabinet cull and Budget are top of Boris Johnson's New Year to-do list". inews. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  8. "Frost, David George Hamilton". www.ukwhoswho.com. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2018. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u42701. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  9. "UK's top civil servant announces exit". BBC News. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  10. Hutchinson, Laura (31 July 2019). "'Officials are far from starry-eyed about Europe' – what new Brexit sherpa David Frost thinks". Civil Service World. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  11. "Former diplomat to lead whisky body". BBC News. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  12. Hutchinson, Laura (2 August 2019). "All about David Frost - the PM's new Chief Brexit Negotiator". Politics Home. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  13. "Whisky boss quits for Boris Johnson role". BBC News. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  14. Colson, Thomas (27 October 2016). "Boris Johnson's new advisor could be Britain's hope for avoiding a 'Hard Brexit'". Business Insider UK. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  15. "David Frost CMG to become next Chief Executive at the London Chamber of Commerce". WILD SEARCH. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  16. "Appointment of Prime Minister's National Security Adviser". GOV.UK. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  17. Payne, Sebastian; Parker, George; Pickard, Jim (28 June 2020). "Mark Sedwill steps down as UK's top civil servant". The Financial Times. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  18. Murphy, Joe (29 June 2020). "Former top mandarins voice fears over Boris Johnson's choice of David Frost as National Security Adviser". Evening Standard. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  19. "Theresa May criticises PM over choice of Brexit envoy for security role". BBC News. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  20. "No. 3614444". The London Gazette. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  21. Forrest, Adam (27 March 2020). "Coronavirus: UK's Brexit negotiator David Frost self-isolates with symptoms". The Independent. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Sir Nicholas Browne		 British Ambassador to Denmark
2006–2008		 Succeeded by
Nick Archer
Government offices
Preceded by
Sir Mark Sedwill		 Designate National Security Adviser
As of September 2020
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