Prime Minister's brother 'torn between family loyalty and the national interest'
Universities Minister Jo Johnson has quit his government position in a bitter blow to his brother, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Jo Johnson was reappointed as Universities and Skills Minister in the summer, in Boris Johnson's extensive reshuffle on becoming Prime Minister.
He has been tangentially involved in the decarbonisation agenda over much of his ministerial career. During his time at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy he has been responsible for directing low-carbon funding for universities, while as Rail Minister he oversaw the launch of a new target to phase out diesel trains on the UK network by 2040.
However, Jo Johnson is much more pro-European than his brother and said today he said he has spent recent weeks "torn between family loyalty and the national interest - it's an unresolvable tension & time for others to take on my roles as MP & Minister".
Reports suggest he is upset at the purge of 21 Tory MPs who rebelled against the government earlier this week and were immediately ejected from the Parliamentary party.
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 is no longer listed as a minister on the BEIS wbsite, and is expected to stand down as an MP at the next election.
"The prime minister would like to thank Jo Johnson for his service," a Downing Street spokesman said. "He has been a brilliant, talented minister and a fantastic MP. The PM, as both a politician and brother, understands this will not have been an easy matter for Jo. The constituents of Orpington could not have asked for a better representative."
Last month Jo Johnson welcomed the adoption of a net zero emissions target for the UK, stressing the importance of cutting carbon emissions across the UK.
His departure follows the removal of a number of Conservative MPs supportive of climate action, including former Environment Minister Richard Benyon, former BEIS Secretary Greg Clark, and Antoinette Sandback, a strong supportive of the UK solar industry. All had the whip removed this week for rebelling against the government.