Joseph Edmund Johnson (born 23 December 1971) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Orpington since 2010. He is a member of the Conservative Party. His older brother, Boris Johnson, is the leader of the party and Prime Minister.
Johnson was appointed Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit in 2013 by Prime Minister David Cameron. He became Minister of State for the Cabinet Office in 2014 and Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation in 2015. Following the January 2018 cabinet reshuffle, Johnson served as Minister of State for Transport and Minister for London; he resigned in November the same year, citing the failure of the Brexit negotiations to achieve what had been promised by the Vote Leave campaign and his wish to campaign for a new EU referendum. He returned to Cabinet, again as Minister of State for Universities, in July 2019 when his brother became Prime Minister. In September 2019, he resigned from the Cabinet and announced that he would stand down as an MP at the next United Kingdom general election
Early life
Family
Johnson is the youngest of four children born to former Conservative MEP Stanley Johnson and artist Charlotte Johnson Wahl (née Fawcett), the daughter of Sir James Fawcett, a prominent barrister and president of the European Commission of Human Rights from 1972 to 1981. Johnson is the brother of Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Conservative MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip; Rachel, a journalist; and Leo, an entrepreneur and filmmaker.[1][2][3]
Education
Johnson first attended the European School in Uccle, before attending The Hall School in Hampstead, London, Ashdown House School in East Sussex, and then Eton College. In 1991, he went to Balliol College, Oxford, to read Modern History. He was a Scholar at Balliol, edited Isis, the Oxford University student magazine, and was awarded a First Class degree in both Honour Moderations (June 1992) and Finals (Honour School, June 1994). While at Oxford, he was a member of the Bullingdon Club together with Harry Mount, Nat Rothschild and George Osborne,[4] with whom he remains a close friend.[5][6]
Career in journalism
After graduating from the Université libre de Bruxelles, in 1995 Johnson joined Deutsche Bank as an investment banker.
In 1997, he switched career paths and joined the Financial Times. After a sabbatical in 1999/2000 during which he gained an MBA from INSEAD, he returned to become Paris correspondent (2001–05), and then as South Asia bureau chief based in New Delhi (2005–08). On return to London he became an associate editor of the Financial Times and head of the Lex Column, one of the most influential positions in British financial journalism.[7][8] Previous 'Heads of Lex' include Nigel Lawson, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Martin Taylor, former chief executive of Barclays Bank, and Richard Lambert, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry. Johnson left the Lex column in April 2010. He received awards for his journalism from a range of organisations, including the Foreign Press Association, the Society of Publishers in Asia and The Indian Express's Excellence in Journalism Awards.
Johnson's books include the co-authored The Man Who Tried To Buy the World (Penguin, 2003),[9] about the French businessman Jean-Marie Messier. This was serialised in The Guardian and published in France as Une faillite française by Albin Michel in 2002. He co-edited, with Dr Rajiv Kumar (Secretary General, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) Reconnecting Britain and India: Ideas for an Enhanced Partnership (Academic Foundation 2011).[10]
He commentated on radio and television,[11][12] and spoke in public on the rise of India, as well as on the UK political economy and financial affairs.[citation needed]
Parliamentary career
He was selected as the Conservative parliamentary candidate for the safe seat of Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley from a shortlist of six contenders.[13] He retained the seat, tripling the Conservative majority of his predecessor John Horam to over 17,000 at the 2010 general election. His majority increased again in the general election of 2015, to 19,979.[14]
Against the national trend, he increased the Conservative share of the vote in the constituency by 5.5% points to 62.9% at the general election in June 2017, although his majority declined to 19,453.[15]
Head of the Downing Street Policy Unit
On 25 April 2013, he was appointed Head of the Number 10 Policy Unit by David Cameron to help develop the 2015 Conservative manifesto.
As a junior Cabinet Office minister, he headed the Policy Unit in the Prime Minister's Office,[16] and also chaired a newly created Conservative Parliamentary advisory board, known as the Prime Minister's Policy Board, consisting of Conservative MPs.
Johnson's appointment to head up the Downing Street policy unit was viewed as surprising by The Guardian as he was perceived as being more pro-European and left-leaning than most Conservatives.[17]
Minister for Universities and Science
On 11 May 2015, it was announced that Johnson had been appointed Minister for Universities and Science at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).[18][19] Writing about Johnson's appointment for Times Higher Education, John Morgan said: "Mr Johnson's reputation as a pro-European is likely to please vice-chancellors, many of whom are concerned by the Tories' pledge to hold an in-out referendum on EU membership by 2017. Universities UK pointed out that British higher education institutions benefit from around £1.2 billion in European research funding each year."[20]
In this role, Johnson introduced the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, which the Times Higher Education described as the most significant legislation in 25 years. This overhauled the regulatory framework for English universities, replaced the Higher Education Funding Council for England with a new regulator, the Office for Students, and established mechanisms to hold universities more accountable for the quality of teaching and student outcomes.[21] The Act also created a new single national strategic research body, UK Research and Innovation, bringing together the UK's fragmented research funding bodies.[22]
Minister of Transport
On 9 January 2018 Johnson left his role as Minister for Universities and accepted a new position as Minister of Transport and Minister for London.[23]
On 9 November 2018, Johnson resigned his position, citing disillusionment with the government's Brexit strategy and called for a fresh vote on Brexit with an option to remain. Johnson argued that Britain was "on the brink of the greatest crisis" since World War Two and claimed that what was on offer was not "anything like what was promised".[24][25]
Brexit
Jo Johnson called on his Conservative Party MPs to vote down Theresa May's Brexit deal on 11 December 2018, stating that it was 'half baked' and the 'worst of both worlds'.[26] Johnson resigned as a minister because he wanted to be free to endorse a People's Vote.[27][28][25]
Minister in Boris Johnson's Cabinet
On 24 July 2019 it was announced that Jo Johnson was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Department of Education – this position would mean he would be attending the meetings of the cabinet.[29][30] He was appointed to the privy council the next day.[31] On 5 September, Johnson resigned as Minister and announced he would stand down as MP, describing his position as "torn between family and national interest".[32][33][34] He is expected to stand down at the next general election rather than through a by-election. A Downing Street spokesman said: "The prime minister would like to thank Jo Johnson for his service... The constituents of Orpington could not have asked for a better representative
Johnson was appointed Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit in 2013 by Prime Minister David Cameron. He became Minister of State for the Cabinet Office in 2014 and Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation in 2015. Following the January 2018 cabinet reshuffle, Johnson served as Minister of State for Transport and Minister for London; he resigned in November the same year, citing the failure of the Brexit negotiations to achieve what had been promised by the Vote Leave campaign and his wish to campaign for a new EU referendum. He returned to Cabinet, again as Minister of State for Universities, in July 2019 when his brother became Prime Minister. In September 2019, he resigned from the Cabinet and announced that he would stand down as an MP at the next United Kingdom general election
Early life
Family
Johnson is the youngest of four children born to former Conservative MEP Stanley Johnson and artist Charlotte Johnson Wahl (née Fawcett), the daughter of Sir James Fawcett, a prominent barrister and president of the European Commission of Human Rights from 1972 to 1981. Johnson is the brother of Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Conservative MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip; Rachel, a journalist; and Leo, an entrepreneur and filmmaker.[1][2][3]
Education
Johnson first attended the European School in Uccle, before attending The Hall School in Hampstead, London, Ashdown House School in East Sussex, and then Eton College. In 1991, he went to Balliol College, Oxford, to read Modern History. He was a Scholar at Balliol, edited Isis, the Oxford University student magazine, and was awarded a First Class degree in both Honour Moderations (June 1992) and Finals (Honour School, June 1994). While at Oxford, he was a member of the Bullingdon Club together with Harry Mount, Nat Rothschild and George Osborne,[4] with whom he remains a close friend.[5][6]
Career in journalism
After graduating from the Université libre de Bruxelles, in 1995 Johnson joined Deutsche Bank as an investment banker.
In 1997, he switched career paths and joined the Financial Times. After a sabbatical in 1999/2000 during which he gained an MBA from INSEAD, he returned to become Paris correspondent (2001–05), and then as South Asia bureau chief based in New Delhi (2005–08). On return to London he became an associate editor of the Financial Times and head of the Lex Column, one of the most influential positions in British financial journalism.[7][8] Previous 'Heads of Lex' include Nigel Lawson, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Martin Taylor, former chief executive of Barclays Bank, and Richard Lambert, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry. Johnson left the Lex column in April 2010. He received awards for his journalism from a range of organisations, including the Foreign Press Association, the Society of Publishers in Asia and The Indian Express's Excellence in Journalism Awards.
Johnson's books include the co-authored The Man Who Tried To Buy the World (Penguin, 2003),[9] about the French businessman Jean-Marie Messier. This was serialised in The Guardian and published in France as Une faillite française by Albin Michel in 2002. He co-edited, with Dr Rajiv Kumar (Secretary General, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) Reconnecting Britain and India: Ideas for an Enhanced Partnership (Academic Foundation 2011).[10]
He commentated on radio and television,[11][12] and spoke in public on the rise of India, as well as on the UK political economy and financial affairs.[citation needed]
Parliamentary career
He was selected as the Conservative parliamentary candidate for the safe seat of Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley from a shortlist of six contenders.[13] He retained the seat, tripling the Conservative majority of his predecessor John Horam to over 17,000 at the 2010 general election. His majority increased again in the general election of 2015, to 19,979.[14]
Against the national trend, he increased the Conservative share of the vote in the constituency by 5.5% points to 62.9% at the general election in June 2017, although his majority declined to 19,453.[15]
Head of the Downing Street Policy Unit
On 25 April 2013, he was appointed Head of the Number 10 Policy Unit by David Cameron to help develop the 2015 Conservative manifesto.
As a junior Cabinet Office minister, he headed the Policy Unit in the Prime Minister's Office,[16] and also chaired a newly created Conservative Parliamentary advisory board, known as the Prime Minister's Policy Board, consisting of Conservative MPs.
Johnson's appointment to head up the Downing Street policy unit was viewed as surprising by The Guardian as he was perceived as being more pro-European and left-leaning than most Conservatives.[17]
Minister for Universities and Science
On 11 May 2015, it was announced that Johnson had been appointed Minister for Universities and Science at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).[18][19] Writing about Johnson's appointment for Times Higher Education, John Morgan said: "Mr Johnson's reputation as a pro-European is likely to please vice-chancellors, many of whom are concerned by the Tories' pledge to hold an in-out referendum on EU membership by 2017. Universities UK pointed out that British higher education institutions benefit from around £1.2 billion in European research funding each year."[20]
In this role, Johnson introduced the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, which the Times Higher Education described as the most significant legislation in 25 years. This overhauled the regulatory framework for English universities, replaced the Higher Education Funding Council for England with a new regulator, the Office for Students, and established mechanisms to hold universities more accountable for the quality of teaching and student outcomes.[21] The Act also created a new single national strategic research body, UK Research and Innovation, bringing together the UK's fragmented research funding bodies.[22]
Minister of Transport
On 9 January 2018 Johnson left his role as Minister for Universities and accepted a new position as Minister of Transport and Minister for London.[23]
On 9 November 2018, Johnson resigned his position, citing disillusionment with the government's Brexit strategy and called for a fresh vote on Brexit with an option to remain. Johnson argued that Britain was "on the brink of the greatest crisis" since World War Two and claimed that what was on offer was not "anything like what was promised".[24][25]
Brexit
Jo Johnson called on his Conservative Party MPs to vote down Theresa May's Brexit deal on 11 December 2018, stating that it was 'half baked' and the 'worst of both worlds'.[26] Johnson resigned as a minister because he wanted to be free to endorse a People's Vote.[27][28][25]
Minister in Boris Johnson's Cabinet
On 24 July 2019 it was announced that Jo Johnson was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Department of Education – this position would mean he would be attending the meetings of the cabinet.[29][30] He was appointed to the privy council the next day.[31] On 5 September, Johnson resigned as Minister and announced he would stand down as MP, describing his position as "torn between family and national interest".[32][33][34] He is expected to stand down at the next general election rather than through a by-election. A Downing Street spokesman said: "The prime minister would like to thank Jo Johnson for his service... The constituents of Orpington could not have asked for a better representative
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