MPs have declared £8m in earnings on top of their parliamentary salaries, with Boris Johnson accounting for more than a quarter of the total.
The former Tory prime minister earned £2.3m in the past 12 months, on top of the £84,000 salary he receives as an MP.
Almost all of that money has come in since Mr Johnson left No 10 in September, and it includes £1.8m in speaking fees and £510,000 for his upcoming memoir.
News of the advance for Mr Johnson’s memoir came as it emerged that the taxpayer could end up contributing more than £222,000 in legal fees to defend the former prime minister in relation to a Commons inquiry into whether he misled parliament over Partygate.
It comes as Michael Gove defended Mr Johnson over reports that the then prime minister was told to stop asking Richard Sharp for “advice” about his personal finances, just days before the latter was announced as the new BBC chair.
According to the reports, Mr Johnson was warned by officials on 22 December 2020 to stop discussing his financial arrangements with Mr Sharp, whose appointment to the BBC role was due to be announced on 6 January 2021.
Mr Sharp, a former banker, has already faced calls to stand down after it emerged that, in late 2020, he introduced Sam Blyth to cabinet secretary Simon Case to discuss whether Mr Blyth, a distant cousin of Mr Johnson, could act as a guarantor for a loan facility.
Mr Gove, now the levelling up secretary, was pressed on the matter on the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme on Sky News, and rejected any suggestion that Mr Johnson is becoming a “liability” to the government.
“I know – and I’ve seen it happen in the past – that there’s a letter here, a note there, a comment there. It points towards one conclusion. Once you know all the evidence, actually, another conclusion can fairly be drawn,” Mr Gove said.
“I know from experience in the past, including when I’ve jumped to conclusions about people and then found that actually I’d been unfair on them, that we just need to see all the facts,” said the cabinet minister.
He added: “I think Boris Johnson was a very good prime minister, and I think that he has a lot to contribute to public life in the future.”
A spokesperson for Mr Johnson said Mr Sharp has “never given any financial advice to Boris Johnson, nor has Mr Johnson sought any financial advice from him”.
But The Sunday Times, citing a leaked Cabinet Office memo, said guidance was issued by top civil servant Mr Case after Mr Johnson and Mr Sharp sought advice on accepting the £800,000 loan from Mr Blyth. Mr Johnson reportedly secured the money in February 2021.
The newspaper quotes advice issued by Mr Case, which states: “Given the imminent announcement of Richard Sharp as the new BBC chair, it is important that you no longer ask his advice about your personal financial matters.”
Public appointments commissioner William Shawcross has already said he plans to investigate Mr Sharp’s appointment as BBC chair, following the first set of reports last week.
Mr Gove said the purpose of Mr Shawcross’s inquiry is to “make sure that everything’s completely kosher ... It’s absolutely understandable to think, ‘Aha, this plus this equals that,’ but my bitter experience is wait until we see all the facts before coming to a definitive conclusion.”
Meanwhile, MPs have declared £8.07m in outside earnings in the past year, including payments for second jobs, speeches, TV appearances and books.
Just three MPs account for half of declared outside earnings: Mr Johnson, Theresa May, and former attorney general Sir Geoffrey Cox, who earned £880,290 from his legal work.
Mr Johnson’s earnings outstrip those of his predecessor Ms May, who declared £965,000 in speaking fees. Most of Ms May’s earnings are used to fund her private office and charitable work, with the former prime minister drawing an annual salary of £85,000 in addition to her MP’s pay.
Other high earners include Matt Hancock, who has declared £442,697 over the past year, including £320,000 from appearing on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
Nine of the top 10 earners were Conservative MPs, with David Lammy the only Labour MP in the top 10, declaring £108,259. This included £48,908 in speaking fees and £53,500 for presenting shows on LBC.
Some 39 MPs were paid more than the median UK salary of £31,000 in outside earnings alone, although 409 declared no outside earnings at all.
PA
