Boris Johnson in ‘clear breach’ of guidelines after Daily Mail job introduced, says MP watchdog

Jun 16, 2023 at 6:05 PM

Boris Johnson has dedicated a “clear breach” of the foundations surrounding jobs outdoors parliament after solely informing a key watchdog of his new Daily Mail column half an hour earlier than it was publicly introduced.

Whitehall’s anti-corruption panel mentioned the previous prime minister – who has vowed to supply uncensored views – had not sought its recommendation on the matter inside an acceptable timeframe.

Former ministers are supposed to apply to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) earlier than taking on a brand new appointment or function for as much as two years after leaving authorities.

An Acoba spokesperson mentioned: “The Ministerial Code states that ministers must ensure that no new appointments are announced, or taken up, before the committee has been able to provide its advice.

“An software acquired 30 minutes earlier than an appointment is introduced is a transparent breach.

“We have written to Mr Johnson for an explanation and will publish correspondence in due course, in line with our policy of transparency.”

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Earlier, a supply near Mr Johnson insisted that he had written to Acoba, however didn’t say when the letter was despatched.

The Daily Mail, a right-leaning outlet and one in every of Mr Johnson’s largest supporters, confirmed on Friday that it had employed Mr Johnson as a weekly columnist, calling him “one of the wittiest and most original writers in the business”.

In a video shared alongside the announcement, Mr Johnson mentioned he was “thrilled” to contribute to “those illustrious pages”, and promised to ship “completely unexpurgated stuff”.

Although he quipped he’ll solely cowl politics when “I absolutely have to”, the column provides him a strong platform to take pictures at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with whom he has been publicly clashing.

But the announcement, which comes a day after the privileges committee concluded Mr Johnson lied to parliament with his denials of Downing Street lockdown parties, has drawn the ire of opposition MPs.

Labour MP Angela Eagle mentioned “this is what no shame looks like”.

Former shadow chancellor John McDonell mentioned he couldn’t assume “of a more appropriate vehicle for Johnson to peddle more of his lies” than within the newspaper, which he claimed was a “rag” that “contributes so much to dividing our society and lowering the standards of public life”.

There has been hypothesis about whether or not Mr Johnson would return to his journalism roots after he dramatically stop as an MP final week forward of the damning privileges verdict changing into public.

Before he turned occasion chief, Mr Johnson acquired a £275,000 wage to write down for The Telegraph, which is able to probably pale compared to the sum he’ll pocket as a former premier.

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POLITICO, which first broke the news of Mr Johnson’s new writing gig, reported he’ll obtain a “very high six figure sum”.

News of his profitable new job got here because the prime minister was urged to “stand up to” his predecessor and drive him to pay again the tax payer cash spent on his partygate legal fees.

Mr Johnson joins the ranks of his staunch ally Nadine Dorries, who writes a weekly Tuesday column for the Daily Mail.

The former tradition secretary, who has additionally introduced her exit from the Commons, used her most up-to-date piece to recommend “sinister forces” have been behind the choice to exclude her from Mr Johnson’s controversial resignation honours checklist – one thing Downing Street has denied.

The former long-standing Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre was additionally as soon as tipped to be on the checklist however was reportedly eliminated throughout the House of Lords vetting course of.