Boris Johnson's brother quits government posts in Brexit debacle: 'Torn between family loyalty and the national interest'
Ludovic Marin, AFP | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks towards his meeting in Biarritz, France on August 26, 2019, at the annual G7 Summit attended by the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

Boris Johnson's own brother has quit the government as the newly installed British prime minister's political humiliation continues.


Jo Johnson, a Conservative party member of parliament since 2010, is stepping down and quitting his post as a minister in his brother's government because he no longer can reconcile “family loyalty and the national interest," reported The Daily Beast.

“It’s been an honour to represent Orpington for nine years and to serve as a minister under three prime ministers,” he wrote. “In recent weeks I’ve been torn between family loyalty and the national interest—it’s an unresolvable tension and [it's] time for others to take on my roles and MP and minister.”

The prime minister's brother did not specifically reference Brexit in his resignation, but Jo Johnson is part of the pro-Europe wing of their party and has called for a second referendum to decide what to do about leaving the European Union.