News World

Former British PM Johnson rakes in millions over past year: report

Ex-PM Johnson defends decision to delay Covid lockdown
Image: Video Screenshot

British lawmakers earned some £10 million ($6.1 mn) on top of their parliamentary salaries over the past year with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson accounting for nearly half the total amount, a report said.

Johnson — who reportedly complained bitterly while in office about his £164,000 prime ministerial salary — earned £4.8 million, according to an analysis by The Guardian daily published late on Sunday.

The former prime minister resigned as an MP in June following his ouster as British leader in July 2022.

An additional £400,000 was earned by members of the opposition Labour Party and two other smaller parties, the newspaper’s analysis found.

The outside earnings come from a variety of sources including consultancies, speeches and television work including for the right-wing GB News.

Former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg nets around £29,000 a month to host a programme for the outlet.

Another Conservative former finance and health minister, Sajid Javid, earns around £25,000 a month as an adviser to an investment firm.

The figures — compiled from parliament’s Register of MPs’ interests — follow an outcry over a lobbying scandal in 2021 and another row over a Conservative MP paid around £5.5 mn as a lawyer since entering parliament.

Members of parliament earn a basic salary of £86,000.

Plans to limit the time lawmakers can dedicate to second jobs were dropped last year.

Parliament‘s standards committee made some recommendations for changes to the rules.

Without cross-party agreement on the issue, however, it said the current system should remain in place.

About the author

AFP

Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency.







Daily Newsletter