Boris Johnson last night faced demands for a Commons probe into his living arrangements to establish whether he is being honest about the true rental value of a plush home he is staying in.
As millions of people struggle to keep a roof over their head in the cost of living crisis, the Mirror can reveal the former PM is residing in a £20,000,000 London property owned by the wife of Tory donor Lord Bamford.
Shameless Mr Johnson, who earned £1,000,000 from four speeches over six weeks since being forced out of Number 10, estimates the gift from Lady Carole Bamford is worth £10,000 a month. But a similar home is being offered for rent for £30,000, more than the starting salary of nurses now denied a decent pay rise by Tories.
We understand he could face a complaint to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over this issue of whether he has fully declared the true value of the gift.
His register of interests records show he accepted the gift from Lady Carole for the “concessionary use of accommodation for me and my family” since September 2.
Since September, the Bamfords have also loaned the Johnsons the use of a second property, estimated by the former Tory leader to be worth £3,500 a month. It is understood to be a cottage on the tycoon’s 1,500-acre Daylesford Estate in the Cotswolds.
According to his register of interests, Johnson owns part or all of three properties in London, Oxfordshire and Somerset which are rented out - but the Mirror can reveal that one has been recently sold for £1.4m, netting him and wife Carrie a £200,000 profit.
Sonia Purnell, author of Johnson biography Just Boris, said: “As long as I have known him, Johnson has refused to dip into his own pockets, preferring instead to live off other people’s largesse. The problem with this though is how can he remain an independent free-thinking MP when he is so indebted to other people? Is this appropriate? I’m not sure his constituents would be happy with this arrangement. He is still the MP for Uxbridge after all.”
Well, we already know he’s a snouts in the trough scrounger and liar, and after all the freebies he can get. A greedy git
More the fool the Tory donor if they’re stupid enough to rub grease into the greasy hog
I’m quite sure he hasn’t declared it’s full value. He thinks he’s above the rules and they are only for the little people. Here’s hoping he doesn’t get away with it……again
But I accept he won’t get his just desserts and will carry on creaming off the perks, I just hope karma catches up with him one day
But I am so relieved this disgusting man isn’t our PM any more that I don’t really care
Tolerating a blatantly amoral person like him as our Prime Minister was a disgrace to our country, humiliating internationally and threatened our very democracy
I’m sure more of his revolting law breaking greed will be revealed but at least he’s not representing our country as leader any more
It’s all part of the “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” - or as Boris with his Latin education may say “quid pro quo”!
The Bamford family has been one of the most prolific donors to the Conservative Party in recent history, having given more than £12 million to the party in recent years both personally and through their corporate interests.
It’s not just Johnson’s accommodation Bamford is providing - Didn’t Bamford fund and host the Johnson wedding too?
It’s not just Johnson that has had his snout in the Bamford trough - George Osborne and David Davis have had their snouts in that trough too - and it was Cameron who gave Bamford a peerage.
In return, Bamford got a peerage and the Govt have recently given grants to a Bamford family Business called Wrightbus, to the tune of £26 million.
I’m not suggesting there has been any wrongdoing by anybody, of course!
