James O'Brien's Instant Reaction To Jo Johnson's Resignation
5 September 2019, 12:44 | Updated: 5 September 2019, 12:54
James O'Brien asked the cabinet ministers standing by Boris Johnson "if his own brother can see it, why can't you?" after the resignation of Jo Johnson.
The Prime Minister's brother stood down as Business Minister and MP for Orpington, saying he had been torn between family loyalty and the national interest.
Speaking immediately after the announcement, James said: "This really throws a challenge of a lot of them that is completely different from the challenge posed by Sir Nicholas Soames, Ken Clarke, Ed Vaizey, Stephen Hammond and others.
"Because this essentially says to people in the cabinet who know the reality of no-deal (and that's all of them), who honestly recognise the reality of no-deal (that's some of them), if the Prime Minister's own brother is willing to resign on an issue of conscience, on an issue of integrity, on a matter of national interest, the why can't they?
"If his own brother can do it, why can't you?
"Sajid Javid, Amber Rudd, Matt Hancock, already you've been reduced to ridiculousness by him proroguing parliament after you described proroguing parliament as the most condemnatory of terms.
"He's made you look like a mug in public. He's made you look dishonest in public.
"And now his brother has made you look like cowards."
