Boris Johnson Earns £5m From Paid Speeches, Faces Lobbying Allegations

Leaked documents reveal that Boris Johnson earned over £5 million from paid speeches and consultancy work after leaving office as UK prime minister in 2022, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and misuse of contacts made during his tenure. Johnson made 34 paid appearances worldwide, including speeches at conferences and private events, receiving substantial fees, some linked to entities connected to decisions made during his premiership. The leaked files also show Johnson leveraging relationships with senior Saudi officials and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to promote a consultancy firm he co-chairs, Better Earth, which sought to provide advisory services on carbon reduction to Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. These revelations have sparked calls to suspend Johnson's access to the former prime minister's public duty allowance, intended only for public service-related expenses, pending investigation. Additionally, the documents expose Johnson hosting a dinner for a Tory peer involved in refurbishing his Downing Street residence amid lockdown restrictions, adding to scrutiny of his conduct. The leaks, obtained by Distributed Denial of Secrets and reported by multiple outlets, highlight ethical and legal questions about Johnson's post-office activities and the boundaries between public duty and private profit.