Jo Johnson

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British politician (born 1971)

title: "Jo Johnson" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1971-births", "living-people", "alumni-of-balliol-college,-oxford", "british-business-writers", "british-economics-writers", "british-male-journalists", "british-newspaper-editors", "british-people-of-american-descent", "british-people-of-circassian-descent", "british-people-of-french-descent", "british-people-of-german-descent", "british-people-of-jewish-descent", "british-people-of-lithuanian-descent", "british-people-of-turkish-descent", "conservative-party-(uk)-life-peers", "conservative-party-(uk)-mps-for-english-constituencies", "english-people-of-american-descent", "english-people-of-circassian-descent", "english-people-of-french-descent", "english-people-of-german-descent", "english-people-of-jewish-descent", "english-people-of-lithuanian-descent", "english-people-of-turkish-descent", "financial-times-people", "insead-alumni", "people-educated-at-ashdown-house", "people-educated-at-eton-college", "alumni-of-the-european-schools", "uk-mps-2010–2015", "uk-mps-2015–2017", "uk-mps-2017–2019", "ministers-for-universities-of-the-united-kingdom", "members-of-the-privy-council-of-the-united-kingdom", "bullingdon-club-members", "life-peers-created-by-elizabeth-ii", "family-of-boris-johnson"] description: "British politician (born 1971)" topic_path: "economics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Johnson" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British politician (born 1971) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

FieldValue
honorific-prefixThe Right Honourable
nameThe Lord Johnson of Marylebone
honorific-suffixPC
imageOfficial portrait of Lord Johnson of Marylebone crop 2.jpg
captionOfficial portrait, 2024
office1Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation
primeminister1Boris Johnson
term_start124 July 2019
term_end15 September 2019
predecessor1Chris Skidmore
successor1Chris Skidmore
primeminister2David Cameron
Theresa May
term_start211 May 2015
term_end29 January 2018
predecessor2Greg Clark
successor2Sam Gyimah
office3Minister for London
primeminister3Theresa May
term_start39 January 2018
term_end39 November 2018
predecessor3Greg Hands
successor3Nick Hurd
office4Minister of State for Transport
primeminister4Theresa May
term_start49 January 2018
term_end49 November 2018
predecessor4John Hayes
successor4Jesse Norman
office5Minister of State at the Cabinet Office
primeminister5David Cameron
term_start515 July 2014
term_end511 May 2015
predecessor5Greg Clark
successor5Chris Skidmore
office6Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit
primeminister6David Cameron
term_start625 April 2013
term_end621 May 2015
predecessor6Nick Pearce
successor6Camilla Cavendish
{{collapsed infobox section beginlast
titlestyleborder:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder
officeMember of the House of Lords
statusLord Temporal
termlabelLife peerage
term_start12 October 2020
office1Member of Parliament
for Orpington
term_start16 May 2010
term_end16 November 2019
predecessor1John Horam
successor1Gareth Bacon
birth_nameJoseph Edmund Johnson
birth_date
birth_placeLondon, England
partyConservative
spouse
children2
parents{{plain list
relatives{{plain list
educationBalliol College, Oxford (BA)
Université libre de Bruxelles
INSEAD (MBA)
website
::

| honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable | name = The Lord Johnson of Marylebone | honorific-suffix = PC | image = Official portrait of Lord Johnson of Marylebone crop 2.jpg | caption = Official portrait, 2024 | office1 = Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation | primeminister1 = Boris Johnson | term_start1 = 24 July 2019 | term_end1 = 5 September 2019 | predecessor1 = Chris Skidmore | successor1 = Chris Skidmore | primeminister2 = David Cameron Theresa May | term_start2 = 11 May 2015 | term_end2 = 9 January 2018 | predecessor2 = Greg Clark | successor2 = Sam Gyimah | office3 = Minister for London | primeminister3 = Theresa May | term_start3 = 9 January 2018 | term_end3 = 9 November 2018 | predecessor3 = Greg Hands | successor3 = Nick Hurd | office4 = Minister of State for Transport | primeminister4 = Theresa May | term_start4 = 9 January 2018 | term_end4 = 9 November 2018 | predecessor4 = John Hayes | successor4 = Jesse Norman | office5 = Minister of State at the Cabinet Office | primeminister5 = David Cameron | term_start5 = 15 July 2014 | term_end5 = 11 May 2015 | predecessor5 = Greg Clark | successor5 = Chris Skidmore | office6 = Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit | primeminister6 = David Cameron | term_start6 = 25 April 2013 | term_end6 = 21 May 2015 | predecessor6 = Nick Pearce | successor6 = Camilla Cavendish |titlestyle=border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes | office = Member of the House of Lords | status = Lord Temporal | termlabel = Life peerage | term_start = 12 October 2020 | term_end = | office1 = Member of Parliament for Orpington | term_start1 = 6 May 2010 | term_end1 = 6 November 2019 | predecessor1 = John Horam | successor1 = Gareth Bacon | birth_name = Joseph Edmund Johnson | birth_date = | birth_place = London, England | death_date = | death_place = | signature = | party = Conservative | spouse = | children = 2 | parents = {{plain list|

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 Universities Minister 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 referendum on the Brexit withdrawal agreement. In July 2019, he became part of his brother's Cabinet, again as Minister of State for Universities. Johnson and his brother became the third set of brothers to have served simultaneously in Cabinet – following Edward and Oliver Stanley in 1938, and David and Ed Miliband in 2007 – with Johnson being the first to serve as the brother of an incumbent prime minister.

In September 2019, he resigned from the Cabinet and announced that he would stand down as an MP at the 2019 United Kingdom general election. In July 2020, he was elevated to the House of Lords in the 2019 Dissolution Honours. He is Chairman of the House of Lords Select Committee on Education for 11–16 year olds.

Since leaving Government, Johnson has focused on the role of technology in widening access to education. He was appointed non-executive chairman at Tes in December 2019. He is also now chairman of Access Creative College, the largest independent provider of further education and training for the creative industries, and of FutureLearn, the global digital learning platform. He is also a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and President's Professorial Fellow at King's College London. He has since returned to his work as a journalist at outlets including the Financial Times.

Johnson resigned his directorship after 8 months service, at Elara Capital PLC on the 1 February 2023. His resignation statement, (by email) acknowledged recognition that his former role "requires greater domain expertise in specialised areas of financial regulation than I anticipated and, accordingly, I have resigned from the board."

Early life

Family

Johnson was born in London. He is the youngest of four children of former Conservative MEP Stanley Johnson and artist Charlotte Johnson Wahl (née Fawcett), the daughter of Sir James Fawcett, a barrister and president of the European Commission of Human Rights from 1972 to 1981. Johnson is the brother of Boris Johnson, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Conservative MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip; Rachel, a journalist; and Leo, an entrepreneur, filmmaker and partner at the professional services firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

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, Nathaniel Rothschild and George Osborne, with whom he remains a close friend.

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.

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), 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 Rajiv Kumar (secretary general, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) Reconnecting Britain and India: Ideas for an Enhanced Partnership (Academic Foundation 2011).

He commentated on radio and television, and spoke in public on the rise of India, as well as on the UK political economy and financial affairs.

Parliamentary career

In 2009, 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. At the 2010 general election, he retained the seat for the Conservatives, tripling the majority of his predecessor John Horam to over 17,000. His majority increased again in the general election of 2015, to 19,979.

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.

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, 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.

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). 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."

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. The Act also created a new single national strategic research body, UK Research and Innovation, bringing together the UK's fragmented research funding bodies.

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.

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".

Brexit

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'. Johnson resigned as a minister in December 2018 because he wanted to be free to endorse a proposed referendum on the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

Minister in Boris Johnson's Cabinet

On 24 July 2019, it was announced that Jo Johnson was appointed Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation – this position would mean he would be attending the meetings of the cabinet. He was appointed to the privy council the next day. On 5 September, Johnson resigned as a Minister and announced he would stand down as MP, describing his position as "torn between family and national interest". He stood down at the next general election rather than resigning. 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."

House of Lords

On 31 July 2020, the announcement was made of Johnson's elevation to the House of Lords as part of the 2019 Dissolution Honours. It was his elder brother Boris Johnson who established his peerage. | last1 = Lawson | first1 = Alex | title = Jo Johnson resigns from Binance advisory role | date = 19 December 2022 | work = The Guardian | language = en | location = London, United Kingdom | issn = 0261-3077 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/dec/19/jo-johnson-resigns-from-binance-advisory-role | access-date = 2022-12-20 | quote = His older brother and then prime minister handed him a seat in the Lords the following year. He was created Baron Johnson of Marylebone, of Marylebone in the City of Westminster, on 29 October. He delivered his maiden speech on the afternoon of Thursday 4 March 2021.

Personal life

Johnson lives in London with his wife, Amelia Gentleman, a journalist for The Guardian, the daughter of artist and designer David Gentleman. The couple have two children.

Ancestors

|collapsed=yes |align=center | boxstyle_1 = background-color: #fcc; | boxstyle_2 = background-color: #fb9; | boxstyle_3 = background-color: #ffc; | boxstyle_4 = background-color: #bfc; | 1 = 1. Joseph Edmund Johnson, Baron Johnson of Marylebone | 2 = 2. Stanley Johnson | 3 = 3. Charlotte Fawcett | 4 = 4. Wilfred Johnson | 5 = 5. Irene Williams | 6 = 6. Sir James Fawcett | 7 = 7. Frances Lowe | 8 = 8. Ali Kemal | 9 = 9. Winifred Brun | 10 = 10. Stanley Fred Williams | 11 = 11. Marie Louise de Pfeffel | 12 = 12. Joseph Fawcett of Sandford Hall | 13 = 13. Edith Scattergood | 14 = 14. Elias Avery Lowe | 15 = 15. Helen Tracy Porter

References

References

  1. (5 September 2019). "Jo Johnson quits as MP and minister, citing 'national interest'". The Guardian.
  2. "Education for 11–16 Year Olds Committee - Membership - Committees - UK Parliament".
  3. "Inquiry launched into secondary curriculum and assessment".
  4. (10 September 2020). "Jo Johnson and Steve Stanley appointed at Access Creative College".
  5. (December 2022). "FutureLearn partners with Global University Systems to enhance career opportunities for millions of learners. Jo Johnson appointed chairman of the board".
  6. "Former Senior Fellows".
  7. (13 September 2023). "Jo Johnson".
  8. Johnson, Jo. (26 January 2020). "Narendra Modi's culture war storms India's elite universities". Financial Times.
  9. (2023-02-02). "Adani Group abandons share offer as crisis triggered by fraud claims escalates". The Guardian.
  10. Neate, Rupert. (2023-02-02). "Jo Johnson resigns as director of firm linked to Adani allegations". The Guardian.
  11. (2023-02-02). "Jo Johnson quits as director of UK firm with Adani ties". Financial Times.
  12. (3 May 2008). "Family of influence behind Boris Johnson". The Daily Telegraph.
  13. "Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP". The Houses of Parliament.
  14. "Election 2010: Orpington". BBC News.
  15. Elwes, Jay. "Good news for the chancellor". Prospect Magazine.
  16. (25 April 2013). "Jo Johnson is his own man who is very different to Boris". ITV News.
  17. "Johnson returns to roots as FT Lex column editor – Press Gazette".
  18. "Log In or Sign Up to View".
  19. Daniel Gross [http://www.slate.com/id/2086678/ "J'Accuse!"] {{Webarchive. link. (23 November 2008 , ''Slate'', 6 August 2003)
  20. "Johnson's Passage to India". Evening Standard.
  21. "Johnson reviewed the Sunday papers on Sky".
  22. "Johnson appeared on ''Charlie Rose'' in a discussion on India".
  23. "Jo Johnson selected for Orpington after six ballots including a tie". ConservativeHome.
  24. "VOTE 2010: Jo Johnson wins Orpington". News Shopper.
  25. (9 June 2017). "Orpington". BBC News.
  26. "Jo Johnson to head Downing Street Policy Unit – GOV.UK".
  27. (25 April 2013). "Jo Johnson: a left-field choice to be David Cameron's policy chief". The Guardian.
  28. . (11 May 2015). ["Election 2015: Who's Who in David Cameron's new cabinet"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32658697).
  29. . ["Minister of State for Universities, Science: Jo Johnson"](https://www.gov.uk/government/people/jo-johnson).
  30. Morgan, John. (11 May 2015). "Jo Johnson is new minister covering higher education". Times Higher Education.
  31. (27 April 2017). "Higher Education and Research Bill passed by UK parliament".
  32. "Science Minister announces new Chief Finance Officer of UK Research and Innovation – UK Research and Innovation".
  33. (12 January 2018). "Jo Johnson's new jobs show northern transport again taking backseat". the Guardian.
  34. (9 November 2018). "Minister Jo Johnson quits over Brexit". BBC News.
  35. (29 November 2018). "Jo Johnson tells Tories to vote down Theresa May's 'worst of all worlds' Brexit". London Evening Standard.
  36. [https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/dec/15/senior-tories-cabinet-urge-free-vote-second-referendum Senior Tories urge free vote on second referendum] {{Webarchive. link. (16 December 2018 ''[[The Observer]]''. 15 December 2018)
  37. Walker, Peter. (12 November 2018). "Ministers will not scrap 'reasonable grounds' stop and search rule". The Guardian.
  38. Merrick, Rob. (11 November 2018). "Jo Johnson resigns: Minister quits in protest and demands new Brexit referendum". [[The Independent]].
  39. [https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/1154148221553467394 UK Prime Minister on Twitter: "Jo Johnson @JoJohnsonUK has been appointed Minister of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy @beisgovuk, and the Department for Education @educationgovuk. He will also attend Cabinet.‌ https://t.co/aENMat1NNM"] {{Webarchive. link. (29 July 2019 . Twitter.com. Retrieved on 5 September 2019.)
  40. [https://www.gov.uk/government/people/jo-johnson The Rt Hon Jo Johnson MP] {{Webarchive. link. (22 May 2015 . GOV.UK. Retrieved on 5 September 2019.)
  41. (2019). "ORDERS APPROVED AND BUSINESS TRANSACTED AT THE PRIVY COUNCIL HELD BY THE QUEEN AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE ON 25TH JULY 2019". Privy Council Office.
  42. [https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/jo-johnson-boris-johnsons-brother-resigns-from-parliament_uk_5d70e1cee4b09bbc9efa44c9 Jo Johnson, Boris Johnson's Brother, Resigns From Parliament]. HuffPost UK (5 September 2019).
  43. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49594793 PM's brother quits as Tory MP and minister] {{Webarchive. link. (5 September 2019 . BBC News (5 September 2019).)
  44. Jo Johnson. (5 September 2019). "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. #overandout".
  45. (31 July 2020). "Queen confers Peerages: 31 July 2020".
  46. (31 July 2020). "Evgeny Lebedev, Jo Johnson and Ian Botham among 36 peerage nominations". The Guardian.
  47. "Parliamentlive.tv".
  48. {{London gazette. (16 October 2020)
  49. "Lord Johnson of Marylebone". UK Parliament.
  50. "Profile: Amelia Gentleman". [[The Guardian]].
  51. "About Jo".

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