Boris Johnson news – live: PM refuses to resign and says he’d rather be ‘dead in a ditch’ than seek Brexit delay
All the latest developments as they happened
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson refused to resign in the wake of his own brother’s decision to quit the government over an “unresolvable tension” between the national interest and family ties. Jo Johnson also announced his intention to stand down at the next election.
After a meandering speech in West Yorkshire, the prime minister was asked if he would follow his younger sibling out of the doors of parliament but said: “My job is to get us out on 31 October and that is what we’re going to do.”
And things went from bad to worse for the prime minister, as one man politely asked him to “please leave my town”, while another heckled him in front of TV cameras in Morley.
It all comes after the PM suffered a crushing double defeat in the Commons as MPs pushed through a bill to block a no-deal Brexit and voted down his plan to hold a snap general election.
The blog will load below...
Former Labour MP Luciana Berger has joined the Liberal Democrats in a boost to the pro-European party's ranks.
The Liverpool Wavertree MP dramatically defected from Jeremy Corbyn's party earlier this year in protest over its handling of antisemitism complaints, joining up with a number of disaffected Labour and Tory MPs to co-found Change UK.
Ms Berger then left the group in June in the wake of its disastrous showing in the European parliament elections.
A No10 spokesman said: "The prime minister would like to thank Jo Johnson for his service.
"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.''
Mr Johnson (Junior) is understood to be planning to stand down at the next election.
Jacob Rees-Mogg has announced there will be another vote on an early general election on Monday.
Boris Johnson failed to trigger a general election on Wednesday night, after Labour abstained, but the government is clearly ready for another go.
Mr Rees-Mogg told the Commons: "The early parliamentary motion will be put down tonight as it needs to be on the close of business."
The government is to make a second attempt in the House of Commons to secure an early general election on Monday next week, leader of the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg has announced.
More from our political editor Andrew Woodcock:
Responding to the news of Jo Johnson's decision to quit, shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said: "Boris Johnson poses such a threat that even his own brother doesn’t trust him.
"We have now had four higher education ministers in two years - just the latest sign of the chaos that the Tories have caused to education and the threat that a disastrous no-deal Brexit poses to our colleges and universities."
SNP MP Pete Wishart has also made the point that many moderates clearly feel they have a place in Boris Johnson's party - citing the resignation of Tory leader Ruth Davidson last week.
He said: "Boris Johnson's government is too toxic for Ruth Davidson and now it seems is too extreme for his own brother - not to forget the countless MPs who have been purged and had the party whip removed by Boris Johnson.
"The Scottish Tory MPs must come clean on why they continue to cling on to a Tory leader who has no mandate or majority, and who is harming Scotland's economic and social interests."
Jacob Rees-Mogg has compared a doctor he spoke to during a radio call-in show to discredited medic Andrew Wakefield.
In 1998, Andrew Wakefield's research linking autism and the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine caused many parents to stop their children being immunised.
On Monday, Dr David Nicholl, a consultant neurologist with Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, asked the Commons leader what mortality rate he would accept if the UK were to leave the EU without a deal.
Mr Rees-Mogg told MPs preparations for no-deal are being done with "remarkable efficiency", adding that "a lot of remainers wish to make our skins crawl".
He said: "I'm afraid it seems to me that Dr David Nicholl is as irresponsible as Dr Wakefield.
"What he had to say, I will repeat it, is as irresponsible as Dr Wakefield in threatening that will people die because we leave the European Union.
"What level of irresponsibility was that?"
The prime minister’s sister Rachel Johnson has tweeted that “the family avoids the topic of Brexit especially at meals as we don’t want to gang up on the PM”. Sunday lunch this weekend is going to be interesting.
Historian Max Hastings has also been talking about the “Johnson family”, calling Jo’s decision “quite a dramatic development”.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments