How you and I handed Boris Johnson an extra £183,000

Boris Johnson may have made millions since being kicked out of office but new figures reveal he is claiming tens of thousands of pounds in state support to pay for a role in public life.

The disgraced Brexit liar has joined former Conservative PMs John Major, Lord Cameron, Baroness May and Liz Truss in claiming Public Duty Costs Allowance (PDCA). The taxpayer-funded grant – payable at £115,000 per annum – has netted Johnson £183,083, according to the Cabinet Office’s new annual report and accounts.

The total for a man who was dumped by his own party over Partygate and other scandals is due to backdating his claim to 2022, the year he stopped being PM. A note to his payment total says: “The Rt Hon Boris Johnson was eligible to claim the Public Duty Cost Allowance, however no claims were received in 2022 to 2023.

“Due to 2022 to 2023 being the first year of set up, the Cabinet Office has agreed to reimburse these costs in 2023 to 2024. All future office costs are to be claimed in-year with claims received by 31 March. 2022 to 2023 office costs amounted to £67,083.”

Johnson’s earnings were last reported in Parliament’s Register of Members’ Financial Interests at £4.8 million, while his property assets comprise of his £1 million former constituency home in Oxfordshire and £4 million home Brightwell Manor. He also bagged a £1 million private donation to help fund The Office of Boris Johnson in November 2022.

Johnson’s PDCA claim was the highest on this year’s list. Major was second among the Tories at £115,000 and May third at £113,475, while Cameron’s pay was docked at £68,546 – as he stopped receiving the allowance on his return to government as foreign secretary. Truss received £101,332 – which works out at £2,068 for each of the 49 days she served as PM. Former Labour PMs Sir Tony Blair received £115,000 and Gordon Brown £114,788.

According to official guidance, the public are paying to see Johnson and co out and about: “The PDCA was introduced to assist former prime ministers still active in public life. Payments are made only to meet the actual cost of continuing to fulfil public duties. The costs are a reimbursement of incurred expenses for necessary administrative costs arising from their special position in public life.

“Generally, these costs can include managing an office (staffing and administration costs); handling correspondence as a former prime minister; and support with visits and similar activities.”