Since 2016, Brexit has been dividing families, splitting friends, ruining dinner parties. But perhaps the one family whose split over the EU has been the most public, drawn-out and frankly Shakespearean, is that of the Johnson family.
While Boris is determined to take us out by 31 October do or die, his Remainer brother Jo resigned from cabinet a fortnight ago, and sister Rachel stood as a candidate for Change UK on a second referendum platform only earlier this year. Though she didn’t manage to get elected, she still has the Prime Minister’s ear. On the Spectator Podcast this week, she tells us about her suggestion to Boris about how to solve the current Brexit impasse:
‘We have a general election and a second referendum on the same day. Therefore the referendum result has to be executed by the winning party. So, assuming it’s the Tory government led by Boris Johnson, and Remain wins, well, then maybe Boris has to be prime minister of a Remain country. Which to me wouldn’t be a bad outcome for the family.’
An eyebrow raising suggestion for Boris, but what’s worse for him is who she got the idea from – only arch-Remainer and former prime minister Tony Blair, who she ‘was talking to last week’. Mr S wonders if Boris is looking forward to family Christmas…
Listen to this week’s full Spectator Podcast here:
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