Jo Johnson, the brother of Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resigned as a member of parliament and government minister for business, citing "resolvable tension."
In his resignation letter, the PM's brother said that he was torn between family loyalty and national interest.
"It’s been an honour to represent Orpington for 9 years & to serve as a minister under three PMs. In recent weeks I’ve been torn between family loyalty and the national interest - it’s an unresolvable tension & time for others to take on my roles as MP & Minister," Jo Johnson shared on Twitter according to the New York Times.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacted to his brother's resignation with a statement released by his office.
He expressed his gratitude to his brother for his service to his constituency and country.
"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," the statement read.
The development came in the wake of the British parliament voting to forestall the prospect of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a deal.