Joseph Edmund Johnson, Baron Johnson of Marylebone, (born 23 December 1971) is a British politician who was
Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation from July to September 2019, as well as previously from 2015 to 2018. A member of the
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
, he was
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
(MP) for
Orpington
Orpington is a town and area in south east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is 13.4 miles (21.6 km) south east of Charing Cross.
On the south-eastern edge of the Greater London Built-up Area, it is south of St ...
from
2010 to
2019. He currently sits in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...
. His older brother,
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as ...
, was
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern p ...
between 2019 and 2022.
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
The Minister for the Cabinet Office is a position in the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom. The minister is responsible for the work and policies of the Cabinet Office, and since February 2022, reports to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lanc ...
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
Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 Greenwich Mean Time, GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 Central Eur ...
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
next United Kingdom general election. In July 2020, he was elevated to the House of Lords in the
2019 Dissolution Honours.
Since retiring from politics, Johnson has become non-executive chairman at
''Tes''. He is also a senior fellow at the
Harvard Kennedy School
The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, publi ...
, and President's Professorial Fellow at
King's College London
King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...
. He has since returned to his work as a
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...
at outlets including the ''
Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
''.
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
Charlotte Maria Offlow Johnson Wahl (''née'' Fawcett; 29 May 1942 – 13 September 2021) was a British artist. She was the mother of politician Boris Johnson, as well as the journalist Rachel Johnson and the politician Jo Johnson.
Early lif ...
(née Fawcett), the daughter of
Sir James Fawcett
Sir James Edmund Sandford Fawcett (16 April 1913 – 24 June 1991) was a British barrister. He was a member of the European Commission for Human Rights from 1962 to 1984, and its president from 1972 to 1981, and was knighted in 1984.‘ ...
, a
barrister
A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and givin ...
and president of the
European Commission of Human Rights from 1972 to 1981. Johnson is the brother of
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as ...
, the former
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
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
PricewaterhouseCoopers is an international professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accountin ...
.
Education
Johnson first attended the
European School
A European School ( la, Schola Europaea) is a type of international school emphasising a multilingual and multicultural pedagogical approach to the teaching of nursery, primary and secondary students, leading to the European Baccalaureate as th ...
in
Uccle, before attending
The Hall School in Hampstead, London,
Ashdown House School in East Sussex, and then
Eton College
Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...
. In 1991, he went to
Balliol College, Oxford, to read Modern History. He was a Scholar at Balliol, edited ''
Isis
Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kin ...
'', 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
The Bullingdon Club is a private all-male dining club for Oxford University students. It is known for its wealthy members, grand banquets, and bad behaviour, including vandalism of restaurants and students' rooms. The club is known to select it ...
together with
Harry Mount,
Nat 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
Deutsche Bank AG (), sometimes referred to simply as Deutsche, is a German multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and dual-listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York St ...
as an
investment banker.
In 1997, he switched career paths and joined the ''
Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
''. 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
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Hous ...
(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
Nigel Lawson, Baron Lawson of Blaby, (born 11 March 1932) is a British Conservative Party politician and journalist. He was a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Blaby from 1974 to 1992, and served in the cabinet of Margar ...
, 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
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split be ...
''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 Rajiv Kumar may refer to:
* Rajiv Kumar (civil servant) (born 1960), 25th Chief Election Commissioner of India
The Chief Election Commissioner of India heads the Election Commission of India, a body constitutionally empowered to conduct free ...
(secretary general,
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group based in India.
History
Established in 1927, on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi by Indian businessman G.D. Birla ...
) ''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
Orpington is a town and area in south east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is 13.4 miles (21.6 km) south east of Charing Cross.
On the south-eastern edge of the Greater London Built-up Area, it is south of St ...
in the
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley () is the southeasternmost of the London boroughs that make up Greater London, bordering the ceremonial county of Kent, which most of Bromley was part of before 1965. The borough's population is an estimated 332, ...
from a
shortlist
A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates (sometimes via intermediate lists known as "long lists"). The length of short lists varie ...
of six contenders. At the
2010 general election, he retained the seat for the Conservatives, tripling the majority of his predecessor
John Horam
John Rhodes Horam, Baron Horam (born 7 March 1939) is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom. He is the only MP since the Second World War to have sat in the House of Commons for three different political parties, latterly as the Cons ...
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
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' 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
''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The Thes''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education.
Ownership
TPG Capital acquired TSL 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
, there were 106 universities in England and 5 university colleges out of a total of around 130 in the United Kingdom. This includes private universities but does not include other Higher Education Institutions that have not been given the righ ...
, replaced the
Higher Education Funding Council for England
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom, which was responsible for the distribution of funding for higher education to universities and further education colleges in Engla ...
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
Theresa Mary May, Lady May (; née Brasier; born 1 October 1956) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served in David Cameron's cab ...
'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.
[ ]
Image via Twitter.
''
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
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mo ...
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, therefore minimising any potential political embarrassment for his brother, the prime minister. 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 older brother Boris Johnson that established his peerage.
[
] He was created Baron Johnson of Marylebone, of
Marylebone
Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary.
An ancient parish and latterly a metropolitan borough, it ...
in the
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a city and borough in Inner London. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It occupies a large area of central Greater London, including most of the West En ...
, on 12 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
Amelia Sophie Gentleman, (born 1972) is a British journalist. She is a reporter for '' The Guardian'', and won the Paul Foot Award for reporting the Windrush scandal.
Early life and education
Born in London in 1972, Gentleman is the daughter ...
, a journalist for ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'', the daughter of artist and designer
David Gentleman. The couple have two children.
References
External links
Jo Johnson MP''official constituency website''
Jo Johnson MPConservative Party profile
*
Profile and column archivesat the ''
Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
''
Jo Johnson , Politics , The GuardianJo Johnson , The Telegraph
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Jo
1971 births
Living people
Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford
British business writers
British economics writers
British male journalists
British newspaper editors
Conservative Party (UK) life peers
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
English people of American 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
British politicians of Turkish descent
Ministers for Universities (United Kingdom)
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Bullingdon Club members
Life peers created by Elizabeth II
Boris Johnson family