Boris Johnson received £2.5 million in advance for speeches

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Boris Johnson received £2.5 million in advance for speeches

Boris Johnson received 2.5 million as an advance for speeches, which means he has received more than 5 million dollars in earnings, hospitality and donations over the last six months since he left office.

Since leaving No 10, he has taken a lucrative tour of the global speaking circuit, addressing investors in the technology behind cryptocurrencies, insurers and investment bankers, as well as taking more than 500,000 as an advance for a memoir. He stayed in his main job as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip at the same time.

Johnson has also accepted a donation of more than 1 million from Christopher Harborne, an investor in crypto and aviation fuel based in Thailand who previously donated 6 million to the Brexit party, now known as Reform UK.

Johnson's latest disclosure shows that he accepted 2,488, 387.53 as an advance for speaking engagements arranged via the Harry Walker AgencyHarry Walker Agency in New York.

Johnson took 13,500 a month in donated accommodation from the Conservative donor Lord Bamford and his wife at the same time. This is believed to include a London townhouse as well as the use of a property in the Cotswolds. The couple is friends with the former prime minister and strong backers of Brexit.

The donation from Harborne was for the running of his office, prompting speculation that Johnson might be preparing to try a comeback as Prime Minister, which has been strongly denied by his allies.

The office of Boris Johnson Ltd was established in October of last year. Companies House records show its sole original director was Johnson's long-time aide Shelley Williams-Walker.

She was 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 stated the free use of a VIP suite at Heathrow and Gatwick airports since August.

The former prime minister was given permission last year for speaking engagements through the Harry Walker AgencyHarry Walker Agency from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments Acoba, but he did not seem to have stuck to its rule that he should wait three months after leaving office before taking up paid employment. It was previously suggested that the first engagement in September was a one-off.

Johnson had previously broken the rules of Acoba when he failed to declare a column in the Daily Telegraph after leaving office as foreign secretary.