TheCable

Jo Johnson, brother to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has quit the British parliament and resigned as minister.

Announcing his resignation via a tweet on Thursday, Jo Johnson said he had been torn between “family loyalty and national interest”.

“It’s been an honour to represent Orpington for 9 years & to serve as a minister under three PMs,” Jo Johnson wrote.

“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. #overandout”

It’s been an honour to represent Orpington for 9 years & to serve as a minister under three PMs. 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. #overandout

— Jo Johnson (@JoJohnsonUK) September 5, 2019

Jo Johnson spent nine years as an MP for Orpington and was appointed earlier in 2019 by his brother as minister of state at the department of business, energy and industrial strategy and department of education.

His resignation comes amid accusations that Boris Johnson is working against a no-deal Brexit.

The PM had got the approval of the queen to suspend parliament for five weeks, a move which MPs said was to stop them from passing legislation against a no-deal Brexit from the European Union on October 31.