Boris Johnson is under pressure to lose the financial support granted to former Prime Ministers due to allegations that he has benefited from connections established during his time in office.
According to The Guardian, there are claims that Johnson took advantage of contacts and influence acquired while serving as PM before his resignation in connection with the partygate scandal. It is reported that Johnson allegedly organized a dinner for a Conservative peer who funded a lavish renovation of his Downing Street residence shortly after the second lockdown was imposed.
Accusations suggest that Johnson engaged in lobbying activities with a high-ranking Saudi official he met during his tenure to secure a business opportunity with crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. Additionally, he is said to have received over £200,000 following a meeting with Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Furthermore, Johnson is accused of a clandestine meeting with Peter Thiel, the founder of the contentious US data company Palantir, prior to its involvement in managing NHS data.
The leaked files, obtained by Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoS), a US non-profit organization, cover the period after Johnson’s premiership, from September 2022 to July 2024, and include some documents from his time in office.
The Public Duty Costs Allowance, designed to assist former prime ministers who remain active in public service, provides up to £115,000 annually for office and secretarial expenses related to public duties.
Labour has raised concerns about Johnson’s conduct during the pandemic and post-resignation activities. MPs Joe Powell and Lloyd Hatton have called for accountability regarding the alleged misuse of taxpayer funds by Johnson for personal business interests.
The Liberal Democrats have joined the call for Johnson to be stripped of his allowance access, citing the need for ethical standards and integrity in public office.
In response to the accusations, Boris Johnson refuted the claims, stating that his use of the Public Duty Costs Allowance was compliant with regulations and criticized The Guardian’s reporting.