Education Secretary Gavin Williamson’s remains by far the most unpopular Cabinet minister despite a tiny surge in support after schools return announcement – as poll finds new Brexit chief Lord Frost is more popular than the PM
Gavin Williamson experienced a minor surge in support among Tory grassroots but is still by far the least popular cabinet minister a poll revealed today.
The under-pressure Education Secretary has been the focus of anger among Conservative members since last summer’s exams fiasco saw his approval rating nosedive into negative territory.
But in a poll by the Conservative Home website he was at -43.6, up from -48.4 last month.
However, he trails the next least popular Cabinet member by some distance, with Tory chairwoman Amanda Milling on -4.5, the only other person in with a negative approval rating.
The monthly poll of Conservative grassroots still has International Trade Secretary Liz Truss at the top, for the fourth month running.
Rishi Sunak remains in second place, although his 74.4 per cent approval rating post Budget is his lowest of the coronavirus era.
Tory supporters have also welcomed Boris Johnson’s decision to make his former Brexit negotiator Lord Frost a Cabinet minister – with the former ‘sherpa’ now more popular than the Prime Minister.
The under-pressure Education Secretary has been the focus of anger among Conservative members since last summer’s exams fiasco saw his approval rating nosedive into negative territory.
The peer was brought in to Mr Johnson’s top team last month amid chaos caused by the Brexit agreement he worked on at the UK borders and also in Northern Ireland.
And his more punchy approach compared to former Brexit supremo Michael Gove has seen him immediately installed as the fourth most-popular Cabinet minister, among Tories polled by the Conservative Home website.
He has already upped tensions with the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol after problems with goods entering Ulster.
Brussels insisted it will launch legal action ‘very soon’ after the UK said it will unilaterally delay implementation of parts of the agreement just months after it came into force.
On Wednesday Lord Frost said the UK was extending a series of ‘grace periods’ designed to ease trade between Northern Ireland – which remains in the EU single market for goods – and Great Britain while permanent arrangements are worked out.
It provoked a furious response in Brussels, with the EU accusing Britain of going back on its treaty obligations in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement intended to ensure there is no return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
MEPs in the European Parliament have already taken steps to delay formal ratification of the wider trade and co-operation agreement between Britain and the EU pending the outcome of the latest row.
The Northern Ireland protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement was designed by the EU and UK to avoid a hardening of the border on the island of Ireland.
It means keeping Northern Ireland aligned to various EU rules, requiring checks on goods arriving into the region from Great Britain.
Meanwhile the White House has again stressed the support of new US President Joe Biden for the Good Friday Agreement which the protocol is intended to protect.
Press secretary Jen Psaki said: ‘President Biden has been unequivocal about his support for the Good Friday Agreement.
‘It has been the bedrock of peace, stability and prosperity for all the people of Northern Ireland.’
Prior to last year’s election, Mr Biden – who is intensely proud of his Irish roots – warned the agreement must not become a casualty of Brexit.
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