This archive report was first published on 5 September 2019.
Published on September 5, 2019, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a fresh blow when his brother Jo quit the government, citing an unresolvable tension between family loyalty and national interest.
Jo Johnson, a former universities and science minister, had campaigned strongly against Britain's exit from the European Union in 2016, a position that put him at odds with his older and more famous brother Boris.
Despite their differing views on Brexit, Jo Johnson took a job in his brother's government, a decision that has now been reversed.
"It's been an honour to represent Orpington (a London suburb) for nine years & to serve as a minister under three prime ministers," Jo Johnson tweeted.
"In recent weeks I've been torn between family loyalty and the national interest -- it's an unresolvable tension & time for others to take on my roles as MP & minister."
— Jo Johnson (@JoJohnsonUK) Jo Johnson's resignation comes after 22 MPs left the governing Conservative party this week, with one MP defecting to the pro-European Liberal Democrats and 21 being expelled for voting against the prime minister's Brexit strategy. The opposition Labour party seized on his departure, with Deputy leader Tom Watson tweeting: "Once again, the people who trust Boris Johnson least are the ones who know him best." — Tom Watson (@tom_watson) Jo Johnson's resignation also comes the day after MPs voted to legislate to stop Boris Johnson taking Britain out of the European Union without a divorce deal on October 31.
