Calls Grow to Suspend Boris Johnson’s £115,000 Allowance After Revelations From “Boris Files”

Published: 09 September 2025. The English Chronicle Desk

Fresh controversy has engulfed former UK prime minister Boris Johnson after revelations suggested he may have used his taxpayer-funded private office to profit from contacts made while in government. Senior politicians from across the political spectrum are now calling for his £115,000 annual public duty allowance to be suspended pending a full investigation.

The disclosures, uncovered through a major leak of documents known as the Boris Files, indicate Johnson lobbied senior Saudi officials on behalf of a company he co-chairs and held a private meeting with Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro. Shortly after that engagement, he reportedly received more than £200,000 from a hedge fund. The revelations have drawn the scrutiny of the government’s ethics watchdog, which has already confirmed that it has opened an investigation into Johnson’s post-office dealings.

The public duty costs allowance (PDCA) exists to support the work of former prime ministers in fulfilling non-partisan public duties and is not intended for private or commercial gain. Since leaving office, Johnson is understood to have claimed at least £182,000 under the scheme to cover staff salaries for his private office. However, the leaked documents raise questions about whether he blurred the lines between official duties and lucrative business ventures.

Among the most vocal critics is Labour peer Margaret Hodge, former chair of the public accounts committee, who condemned Johnson’s conduct as a breach of ethical standards. “Boris Johnson is prepared to break the ethical standards of behaviour we all sign up to as public servants,” she said, warning that he appeared to act with “complete impunity.” Hodge has demanded a full review of lobbying rules and tougher enforcement mechanisms to prevent similar abuses.

The Liberal Democrats also joined calls for immediate action. The party’s Cabinet Office spokesperson, Sarah Olney, described the allegations as “extremely shocking” and urged the government to suspend Johnson’s allowance while investigations are carried out.

Labour, meanwhile, said Johnson had “serious questions to answer about his behaviour during Covid and about his activities after being forced out of office in disgrace.” Joe Powell, Labour MP for Kensington and Bayswater, argued that public money allocated to former prime ministers should “support public service, not subsidise private business interests.” His colleague Lloyd Hatton, a current member of the public accounts committee, echoed these concerns, stating that the revelations point to a potential misuse of taxpayer money.

The files also detail the scale of Johnson’s commercial activities since stepping down in 2022. In less than two years, he reportedly earned £5.1 million from 34 speeches, many of which came with generous expense packages including first-class travel and luxury accommodation. While it is not unusual for former prime ministers to accept paid speaking engagements, strict rules prohibit them from lobbying contacts they cultivated during their time in office.

The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), which monitors compliance with post-ministerial business rules, confirmed it is reviewing the new revelations. “We are currently looking at the information reported in the Guardian,” a spokesperson said. “Acoba has already investigated and reported breaches of the business appointment rules by Mr Johnson. Where there is evidence of further non-compliance, we will investigate.”

As pressure mounts, Johnson’s financial dealings and the activities of his private office are likely to remain at the centre of political debate in the coming weeks. Whether the former prime minister will lose access to his publicly funded allowance now depends on the outcome of the watchdog’s inquiry and the government’s willingness to enforce stricter ethical standards on those who once held the highest office.