A TORY peer who called for devolution to be reversed has confirmed his bid to become an MP, with his name placed on a Conservative candidate list ahead of the next election.
Lord Frost, a Brexit minister under Boris Johnson, has floated the idea in the past that he could run to become an MP despite his peerage.
He confirmed on Sunday that Conservative Party officials have accepted his bid to join the party’s candidate list, but said he is not linked to a specific seat.
“I am grateful to the party authorities for accepting my application as a potential Conservative candidate for the House of Commons, the centre of our national political life,” he said in a statement.
“I have not yet applied for any seat and am considering my next steps. Meanwhile I look forward to campaigning for the party and for Conservative principles in the months to come.”
In a previous column for The Daily Telegraph, Frost claimed that devolving powers to both Scotland and Wales “has resulted only in the recreation of closed-shop fiefdoms”.
It attracted criticism from both the SNP and members of his own party with Tory MSP Murdo Fraser describing it as “nonsense” as devolution had allowed Scotland “to shine”.
Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands, Donald Cameron, meanwhile described it as “a load of baloney” and that “no Conservative” should want to reverse devolution.
'We've ridden this tiger long enough, it has come close to dismembering the country. It's time to stop and have a proper debate on: Does Scotland need all these powers?' Lord Frost calls for the 'constraining' of Scotland’s devolved powers amid the SNP crisis. pic.twitter.com/2Q51y7ZzZz
— GB News (@GBNEWS) April 25, 2023
That criticism didn’t stop Lord Frost from doubling down on his comments though as he later told GB News that independence and the SNP have “come close to dismembering” Scotland.
He also added that there were “sympathisers” in his own party who shared his view and encouraged him to continue to share anti-devolution sentiments.
“I think we’ve ridden that tiger long enough; it has come close to dismembering the country. It’s time to stop and have a proper debate about, does Scotland need all these powers, does it need powers to raise taxes, to be a semi-independent state on the world stage”, he said.
According to a report in The Telegraph, the Conservative peer is in contention for a safe Tory seat and could possibly replace outgoing MP Pauline Latham as the candidate in Mid Derbyshire.
If he gained a seat in the Commons, he would have to give up his position in the Lords.
He is among the speakers due to address the National Conservatism Conference later this week, which will see several high-profile ministers and Tory MPs gather in the aftermath of a difficult set of local elections.
