Orpington MP Jo Johnson resigns from government over Brexit

Orpington MP, Jo Johnson, announced the shock exit this afternoon.

The former minister, who voted remain, said the people he represents in Orpington deserve better.

With great regret, I'm resigning from the Government - I have set out my reasons in this article and the video below. https://t.co/hzimcS8uiR pic.twitter.com/hUN9RLzDfq

— Jo Johnson (@JoJohnsonUK) November 9, 2018

He wrote: "My constituents in Orpington deserve better than this from their Government.

"A majority of Orpington voters chose to leave the EU in 2016 and many of the close friends I have there, among them hard-working local Conservative Party members, are passionately pro-Brexit.

I worked closely with Jo Johnson when he was Minister for London and he is absolutely right. Theresa May’s deal is bad for London and bad for Britain. The public need a final say. https://t.co/qPWGriHXIG

— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) November 9, 2018

"I respect their position. But I know from meetings I have had with local members that many are as dismayed as me by the course of negotiations and about the actual choice now on offer.

"Two and a half years on, the practical Brexit options are now clear and the public should be asked to choose between the different paths facing our country: we will all have different positions on that choice, but I think many in my local party, in the Orpington constituency and around the country would welcome having the last word on the Government’s Brexit proposals."

Boundless admiration as ever for my brother Jo. We may not have agreed about brexit but we are united in dismay at the intellectually and politically indefensible of the UK position 1/2 https://t.co/QI4tMpLecc

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 9, 2018