Johnson after Prime Minister: Putting ‘Hay in the Loft’
Boris Johnson steps down as Prime Minister on Tuesday. What next? There are media stories that he plans a come back but why would he want to return to a job that he was useless at, didn’t in any case do, and paying only £150,000 a year far below his requirements. Further he is extremely unpopular having the support of a few thousand elderly Tory Party members, a couple of newspaper Editors and ‘President’ Zelensky.
The Murdoch Times (3rd September) provided some clues as to the post-Prime Ministerial Johnson. He wants to put ‘hay in the loft’ which may be metaphor for more Johnson children but apparently is about his urgent need for £10million. This he hopes to make by international speaking engagements and writing his memoirs. The FT reports he could command $250,000 a go for speaking engagements in the US and Asia. He owes Harper Collins (owned by Murdoch) a book on Shakespeare for which they paid him an advance of at least £88,000 in 2015 and the FT suggests his memoirs could command a seven figure sum of a million pounds plus.
He may also resume his Telegraph column, which paid £250,000 a year. The FT reports there is a bidding war with the Mail
Johnson has two priorities. Firstly to make lots of money to pay off the debts he has accumulated during his time at No.10 (what are they one wonders- payments to his numerous children is one item) and secondly to prevent his booting out of Parliament by the Privileges Committee investigating his alleged lying to MPs over Partygate lockdown partying.
Johnson is also looking to buy a new house in Herne Hill for £3.5 million while holding on to his two existing properties. The Times reports that residents are concerned that Johnson’s presence in the area would have a negative impact on property prices.
Accorinding to the usually well informed Gabriel Pogrund in the Sunday Times, Johnson does need money to fund his numerous children. He does however plan to finally finish the book on Shakespeare,and have ‘fun’ which appear to be more or less his full time occupation. Additionally he fancies fronting up a history programme on TV, perhaps a 2020s version of Our Island Story
As if we didn’t already know Johnson is all about himself. Nothing about addressing the cost of living crisis (for others) or seeking a settlement in Ukraine
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