Tycoons donated £600k to Johnson

BORIS Johnson received more than £600,000 in donations from some of the biggest City financiers and property developers as he prepared to launch his bid to be Prime Minister, official records show. Peter Cruddas, boss of online trading firm CMC Markets, was among Johnson’s most generous donors, giving him £50,000 last month. James Reuben, son of property mogul David Reuben, who now heads up City investment firm Melbury Capital, gave the new Tory leader £50,000 across two donations in May and June. Johnson also enjoyed the backing of Robin Birley, the founder of exclusive Mayfair club 5 Hertford Street, and IPGL, the investment vehicle of Michael Spencer, the entrepreneur behind City firm Nex Group.

The PM has received £61,000 from building equipment giant JCB and £40,000 from the company’s boss Lord Bamford this year.

Earlier in the year, Johnson received two donations worth £36,000 from Johan Christofferson, the founder of US hedge fund Christofferson, Robb and Co, while Countywide Developments handed over £10,000.

The donations have all been declared since the start of the year on the register of interests filed in Parliament. The tally of Jeremy Hunt, Johnson’s rival for the Tory leadership, paled in comparison, totalling less than £200,000. He attracted £10,000 from KJ Costa Advisory, the firm of investment banker Ken Costa.

Sajid Javid, who fell out of the Tory leadership race early on but is now Johnson’s Chancellor, also received donations from the City, including from Howard Shore, the boss of broker Shore Capital.

Michael Gove was backed in the leadership contest by hedge fund boss Sir Paul Marshall, Next chief Lord Wolfson and ex-Carpetright chairman Lord Harris. William Turvill