Rachel Johnson leads backlash against brother Boris over Brexit language

Boris Johnson’s comments about murdered MP Jo Cox have prompted a second sibling to turn on him as his nightmare term goes from bad to worse.

Boris Johnson’s tumultuous term is going from bad to worse as he faces a massive backlash from politicians and his own sister after being forced to return to parliament this week.

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister faced a defiant House of Commons after he was forced to return to parliament following a Supreme Court decision that his prorogation was “unlawful.”

The blonde-haired Brexiteer came out swinging, blasting Labour for keeping the “zombie parliament” in session and saying the “best way” to honour murdered Labour MP Jo Cox was to “get Brexit done”.

Jo Cox, who campaigned for Remain, was murdered in 2016 by Thomas Mair who shot her three times and stabbed her 15 times outside her local office while shouting “Britain first, this is for Britain.” The attack occurred in broad daylight and he was sentenced to life in jail.

Mr Johnson also dismissed other MPs who said they had received death threats as “humbug.”

He was taken to task by Labour MP Peter Kyle who said: “When you live behind a wall of armed police officers you can be as irresponsible as you like with your language because you will never have to live with the consequences.”

However Mr Johnson said he had “no protection whatever” when he cycled around London as mayor.

“Believe me, the best way to ensure that every parliamentarian is properly safe and we dial down the current anxiety in this country is to get Brexit done,” he said.

Jo Cox was killed by a right-wing fanatic. Picture AP

An activist holds aloft a puppet depicting Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson near parliament in London. Picture: Tolga AKMEN / AFP.

Brendan Cox, the husband of Jo Cox, said he felt “sick” his late wife’s name was being used in that way.

“The best way to honour Jo is for all of us (no matter our views) to stand up for what we believe in, passionately and with determination. But never to demonise the other side and always hold onto what we have in common,” he said.

Boris’ own sister, Rachel Johnson said she was disgusted at her brother’s language and believed he was “loving” the situation. She said she hardly recognised the man in parliament compared to the brother she knew at home.

“It raises this question — is it a deliberate strategy to whip up, to raise the tempo so much that people feel that they’ve had their democracy stolen or they’ve had the vote betrayed?” she said.

She said it “obviously whips up the base into believing that if only they cleave to him and the strongman rhetoric and the strongman strategy they will get what they want”.

Rachel Johnson said her brother’s language is “highly reprehensible.”

A third Johnson sibling, Jo, quit the government earlier this month saying he was torn between family unity and the national interest.

Ms Johnson said when people congratulate her brother, she asks: “Which one: Jo or Boris?”

Speaking on a Sky News show she regularly hosts, Ms Johnson also said she believed a lot of the language Boris used had been plucked from the tabloids.

“My brother is using words like ‘surrender’ and ‘capitulation’ as if the people standing in the way of the blessed will of the people, as defined by the 17.4 million votes in 2016, should be hung, drawn, quartered, tarred, and feathered.”

“I think that is highly reprehensible.”

“I hope today in the Commons there will be some sort of deal on all sides that this sort of thing is utterly dialled down.

On her brothers reference to Jo Cox, she said: “I think it was particularly tasteless for those who are grieving a mother, MP and friend to say the best way to honour her memory is to deliver the thing she and her family campaigned against — Brexit.”

“It was a very tasteless way of referring to the memory of a murdered MP, who was murdered by someone who said ‘Britain first’, obviously of the far right tendency, which is being whipped up by this sort of language.”

Boris Johnson. Picture: Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images.

Jo Johnson. Picture: Ben STANSALL / AFP.

Anti-Brexit protesters outside Britain’s parliament. Picture: ISABEL INFANTES / AFP.

Mr Johnson’s defiant return to parliament was criticised roundly for its aggressive tone and military-style language that included talk of “surrender” and “betrayal”.

On Thursday, MPs voted against the government to deny a recess for the Conservative Party conference next week.

It means MPs will have to shuttle back and forth between the conference in Manchester and London where votes could be held in parliament.

Mr Johnson has essentially backed himself into a corner over Brexit, having staked his personal credibility on ensuring Britain leaves the bloc on October 31.

However MPs have passed a law preventing a no deal Brexit, meaning that unless Mr Johnson can secure concessions on the Irish backstop at a summit next month, he will be faced with either breaking the law and crashing out with no deal or breaking his word and asking for an extension from Brussels.