Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
House Of Commons
Boris Johnson tops list of UK MPs with biggest outside earnings
The former UK prime minister has earned £2.3 million (€2.6 mil) since leaving office, making him the highest-earning MP in the past year.
BRITISH MPS HAVE declared £8 million (€9.1 million) in earnings on top of their parliamentary salaries, with Boris Johnson accounting for more than a quarter of the total.
The former UK prime minister earned £2.3 million ( €2.6 million) in the past 12 months, on top of the £84,000 salary he receives as an MP.
Almost all of that money has come in since Johnson left Downing Street in September, and includes £1.8 million in speaking fees and £510,000 for his upcoming memoirs, declared on Thursday.
News of the advance for Johnson’s memoirs came as it emerged that the UK taxpayer could end up spending more than £222,000 on legal fees defending the former prime minister from a Commons inquiry into whether he misled Parliament over ‘Partygate.’
Johnson’s total outside earnings make him the highest-paid MP over the past year, far outstripping his predecessor Theresa May, who declared £965,000 in speaking fees.
Most of May’s earnings are used to fund her private office and charitable work, with the former prime minister drawing an annual salary of £85,000 in addition to her MP’s pay.
In total, MPs have declared £8.07 million in outside earnings in the past year, including payments for second jobs, speeches, TV appearances and books.
Just three MPs account for half of declared outside earnings: Johnson, May and former attorney general Geoffrey Cox, who earned £880,290 from his legal work.
Cox was criticised in 2021 after it emerged he had used a proxy to vote in Parliament while working on a corruption inquiry in the British Virgin Islands.
Other high earners include Matt Hancock, who has declared £442,697 over the past year, including £320,000 from appearing on I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!
Nine of the top 10 earners were Conservative MPs, with David Lammy the only Labour MP in the top 10, declaring £108,259. This included £48,908 in speaking fees and £53,500 for presenting shows on LBC.
Some 39 MPs were paid more than the median UK salary of £31,000 in outside earnings alone, although 409 declared no outside earnings at all.
have your say