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Leak reveals how former leader used publicly subsidized position to manage commercial interests
A trove of leaked data from Boris Johnson's private office reveals how the former prime minister took advantage of the contacts and influence he gained in office, in a possible breach of ethics and lobbying rules.
The Boris files contain emails, letters, invoices, speeches and business contracts. They shed light on the inner workings of a publicly subsidised company that Johnson founded after leaving Downing Street in September 2022.
The collection reveals how Johnson used the company to manage a series of high-paying jobs and business ventures. They raise questions about whether the former Conservative leader broke the "revolving door" rules governing post-ministerial careers.
The revelations echo the Greensill Capital lobbying scandal that implicated one of Johnson's predecessors, David Cameron. They could also raise questions about the taxpayer-funded payments former prime ministers receive to run their private offices.
The archive contains more than 1,800 files, including some dating back to Johnson's time in Downing Street. The Guardian is the only UK media organisation known to have seen the treasure trove.
The files reveal:
Johnson lobbied a senior Saudi official he had met while in office, asking him to share a proposal with the oil state's autocratic crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, for a firm he co-chairs.
The former prime minister received more than £200,000 from an investment fund after meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, contradicting claims he was not paid.
While in office, Johnson appears to have held a secret meeting with Peter Thiel, the billionaire who founded the controversial US data firm Palantir, months before the firm was given a role in managing NHS data.
In a clear breach of Covid pandemic rules, Johnson hosted a dinner for a Conservative colleague who funded a lavish renovation of his Downing Street apartment, the day after the second national lockdown due to Covid-19 came into effect.
Johnson did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The files were obtained by Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoS), a US-registered non-profit organization whose archives have leaked and hacked documents.
DDoS told the Guardian newspaper that it did not know the origin of the leak. However, the appearance of data on its servers will inevitably raise questions about a security breach at the former prime minister's office.
The trove of documents dates largely from after Johnson's term as prime minister, covering a period between September 2022 and July 2024, although it also contains some documents produced when he was in Downing Street.
Revelations about how Johnson has built a lucrative career in the private sector highlight a little-known scheme that allows former UK prime ministers to claim government money to pay for expenses "arising from their privileged position in public life".
The six-figure annual payment, known as the Public Duty Cost Allowance (PDCA), is a subsidy intended to support the public duties of a former prime minister. It is not intended to be used for private or commercial activities.
The files raise questions about whether Johnson has blurred these dividing lines while running Boris Johnson's Office, a limited liability company set up a month after he left Downing Street.
A senior Cabinet Office source confirmed that Johnson has claimed funds under the scheme to pay the salaries of staff in his private office. Official records show that he has claimed £182,000 in PDCA payments since leaving government.
Johnson's office, the leak reveals, has played a central role in managing his commercial endeavors. These include deals with the Daily Mail and GB News, and a career around the world giving speeches to wealthy clients.
The hidden files suggest that between October 2022 and May 2024, Johnson was paid approximately £5.1 million for 34 speeches. The engagements typically bring him hundreds of thousands of pounds, as well as generous expenses to cover first-class flights and five-star hotel stays for him and his staff.
It is not unusual or against any rules for former prime ministers to travel the world giving paid speeches, but there are restrictions on the business activities they can undertake after leaving government.
These include bans on lobbying contacts made while in office with foreign governments and trade organisations. Johnson was reminded of these rules by an official supervisor the day he left Downing Street.
The revelations from the Boris Files will put pressure on Johnson to explain how some of his recent contacts with foreign governments on behalf of commercial interests fall within the rules. / Adapted from The Guardian /
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