David Frost appointed UK’s Brexit policy representative

LONDON — David Frost will become the U.K.’s Brexit and international policy representative rather than assuming the role of national security adviser as previously announced.

Frost, the U.K.’s former chief Brexit negotiator and a close ally of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will head up a new international policy unit in Downing Street, No. 10 announced on Friday.

He will take responsibility for the U.K.’s future relationship with the EU, helping to drive through changes “to maximise the opportunities of Brexit,” including on international trade and economic issues, Downing Street said.

“I am hugely grateful to Lord Frost for his herculean efforts in securing a deal with the EU, and I am thrilled that he has agreed to be my representative for Brexit and International Policy as we seize the opportunities from our departure from the EU,” Johnson said in a statement.

Frost was due to start as national security adviser in the coming weeks but there was significant pushback to that appointment.

Former Prime Minister Theresa May and ex-national security advisers such as Peter Ricketts raised concerns about Frost’s lack of expertise in security affairs, with May branding him a political appointee.

The defense role will instead go to Stephen Lovegrove, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defence since 2016. As the top mandarin at the defense department, Lovegrove has been the government’s main adviser on defense, finance and planning. Lovegrove’s background is in economics and communications, having spent 10 years at Deutsche Bank.

Ricketts, now a crossbench peer and chair of the House of Lords’ EU security and justice subcommittee, said Lovegrove is “an excellent choice” as national security adviser and a refreshing appointment after the first four job holders were recruited from the Foreign Office.

“It means that the U.K. will once more have a full-time top-level professional with real expertise in this key job,” he said. “It also means that David Frost’s position is much clearer as a political adviser to the PM.”

One of Lovegrove’s first tasks will be to contribute to a major review of the U.K.’s defense and foreign policy, which should shed light on how Britain ought to reform its armed forces.

He will also have to build links with Jake Sullivan, the new national security adviser to the U.S. administration.