Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s financial expenses are under solid scrutiny as the Electoral Commission investigates the circumstances surrounding who originally paid for the refurbishments on the prime minister's flat above 11 Downing Street.
While Johnson says that he paid for it from his own pocket, newspaper reports said he initially told aides that he couldn't afford it.
PM’s salary decoded
In an online report about the PM’s earning, it was reported that in 2020-21, Boris Johnson was entitled to a salary of £79,936 as prime minister. He claimed £75,440 of it. That is on top of his entitlement to his salary as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, which is £81,932. So that's a total salary of £157,372.
The report further added that Boris also gets to use the Downing Street flat rent-free as well as the country house Chequers in Buckinghamshire.
He does pay some bills for heating, lighting and repairs, but that is capped at 10% of his ministerial salary, so can't be more than £8,000 a year. And he gets an allowance of up to £30,000 a year for refurbishing the Downing Street flat.
Johnson owns 50% of a home in London and 20% of a home in Somerset, which together generate a rental income of at least £10,000 a year. He also receives payments for his books, including one about Winston Churchill, and a political novel.
“In the most recent register of interests, he declared payments from publishers of £23,500 between April 2020 and March 2021,” the BBC reported.
Cash Crunch?
Records show that as a public speaker, Boris earned quite a big sum, including earning £122,899.74 for a speech to India Today on 2 March 2019.
The Daily Telegraph paid him £22,916.66 a month between July 2018 and July 2019 where he put in 10 hours a month. Boris’ average taxable income of just under half a million pounds a year. As the Mayor of Londo, he earned about £250,000 a year salary.
In October 2017, when he was foreign secretary, the Sunday Times reported that he had told a friend he was running out of money and could not afford to live on £141,505 because of his "extensive family responsibilities".
Warning from Election Commission
Meanwhile, as EC continues to investigate this matter, Boris Johnson’s aides have allegedly been warned that they will face imprisonment if they delete texts or emails about his Downing St flat renovation.
A stark email sent to Conservative Party staff states: "You are put on notice that this is a criminal investigation.”
The warning shot to staff reads: "If you knowingly falsify, conceal, destroy or otherwise dispose of information… you could be committing a criminal offence of Perverting the Course of Justice."
An legal warning email sent to employees at Conservative Campaign Headquarters said: “By Friday 7 May, you are required to produce un-redacted copies of all communications…which concern any arrangements and/or agreements made for the settlement of costs arising from the refurbishment works at the 11 Downing Street flat beyond those met by the Cabinet office from public funds”.
The ultimatum issued by legal officer Alan Mabbutt added: “You are put on notice that this is a criminal investigation.”
