Former British prime minister Boris Johnson has received ￡2.5 million (US$3 million) as an advance for speeches, meaning he has received earnings, hospitality and donations of more than ￡5 million since leaving office in September last year.
Johnson has undertaken a lucrative tour of the global speaking circuit over the past six months, addressing investors in the technology behind cryptocurrency, insurers and investment bankers, as well as taking more than ￡500,000 as an advance for a memoir.
At the same time, he has stayed on in his main job as a member of the British House of Commons.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Johnson has also accepted a donation of more than ￡1 million from Christopher Harborne, an investor in cryptocurrencies and aviation fuel based in Thailand who previously donated ￡6 million to the pro-Brexit Reform UK party.
Johnson’s latest disclosure showed that he accepted ￡2,488,387.53 as an advance for future speaking engagements arranged via the Harry Walker Agency in New York.
At the same time, Johnson has been taking ￡13,500 a month in donated accommodation from Anthony Paul Bamford, chairman of construction conglomerate JCB, who has been a longtime donor to the Conservative Party.
This is believed to include a London townhouse, as well as use of a property in the Cotswolds, about 160km west of the capital.
Bamford and his wife are friends of the former prime minister and also strong Brexit backers.
The donation from Harborne was for running his office, prompting speculation Johnson could be preparing to attempt a comeback as prime minister — which has been strongly denied by his allies.
The Office of Boris Johnson Ltd was established in October last year.
British government records showed that its sole original director was Johnson’s longtime aide Shelley Williams-Walker.
She has since been replaced by Ann Sindall, another close ally of Johnson, who was his secretary when he edited The Spectator magazine and went on to work with him when he was London mayor.
Johnson has also declared the free use of VIP suites at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports numerous times since August last year.
The former prime minister was last year given permission for the speaking engagements through the Harry Walker Agency from the British Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), but he did not appear to have stuck to its rule that he should wait for three months after leaving office before taking up paid employment.
It was previously suggested that the first engagement in September was a one-off gig.
Johnson previously contravened ACOBA rules when he failed to declare a column from the Daily Telegraph after leaving office as British secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs.
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