BOJO’S £1M IN 6 MONTHS
His donations dwarf PM rival Hunt’s
PM-IN-WAITING Boris Johnson has raked in almost £1million in pay and donations in the first six months of this year alone.
The wealthy Tory has made £309,177 for speeches, £137,500 for a once-a-week newspaper column and £8,600 in book royalties on top of his MP’s salary of £40,000 for six months, according to the latest Register of MPs’ Interests
Mr Johnson, likely to be named Prime Minister on July 22 after a vote of Tory members, said this week that his political career was a “sacrifice” because he could make more money outside.
Bringing his total close to £1million is the £482,500 in donations to his leadership campaign, dwarfing the £185,945 raised by his rival Jeremy Hunt.
Candidates are officially allowed to spend only £ 150,000 each on their campaigns plus another £150,000 to help the Conservative Party pay for their hustings. Any cash left over goes to party funds. Tory MP David Morris, a supporter of Mr Hunt, said: “Boris Johnson says he can make more money being a part-time politician. His declaration certainly bears testament to that.”
Johnson campaign donations include £25,000 from First Corporate Shipping. Its director, Terence Mordaunt, is also a director of the Global Warming Policy Forum, set up when its parent group fell foul of Charity Commission impartiality rules. That group was said to be the UK’s main climate science denial campaign.
Banker Peter Cruddas, who gave £50,000 to the Johnson cause, resigned as Tory co-treasurer in 2012. It followed allegations he offered access to then PM David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne in exchange for cash donations.
It was revealed yesterday that at least 1,000 Tory members have received two ballot papers. They were warned they would be expelled if they voted twice.