Boris Johnson received most donations of this parliament after single contribution of £1m
Boris Johnson has become the number one most donated to MP this parliament after receiving a single donation of one million pounds.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had previously been the most donated to MP with £740,000 in multiple donations, Sky News’ Westminster Accounts tool showed.
But the money from Brexiteer and crypto investor Christopher Harborne beat that in a single donation, and suggests the former prime minister has no intention of stepping down from politics any time soon.
Mr Harborne is a former Tory donor who in 2019 was the bankroller of Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party.
Money from political donations is used to fund things like campaigning, staff, and office costs.
Mr Johnson’s 7,210 majority in his west London constituency means he is vulnerable to being unseated by Labour, and allies have claimed he could strike a deal with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak not to challenge his leadership in exchange for a safe seat at the next election.
The register of members’ financial interests is where all MPs must declare any donations, wages or gifts.
Mr Johnson also earned £303,880 in speeches in December, according to updates to the register published on Thursday night.
He earned over a quarter of a million – £253,880,90 – from software company ParallelChain Lab for a nine-hour event in Singapore, and £50,000 from property development company the Ballymore Group for a seven-hour speaking engagement in London.
This comes on top of the £1m Mr Johnson has already declared in outside earnings for a handful of speeches since officially stepping down as prime minister in September.
Since then, the former PM has also lived rent free in the home of JCB chairman and Conservative donor Lord Bamford, the register of interest shows.
Search for your MP using the Westminster Accounts tool
The updates follow the launch this week of Westminster Accounts, a joint project between Sky News and Tortoise Media which aims to shine a light on money in politics.
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SNP calls for donations reforms
The new database brings together MPs’ second jobs and donations – the first time they have all been collated in one place.
According to our latest analysis of the donations, Boris Johnson now tops the leader board of the most donated to MP, followed by Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Johnson’s short-lived successor Liz Truss.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak comes fourth, followed by Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Housing Secretary Michael Gove.
MPs donations
Outside earnings
The database has led to calls for greater transparency of where MPs get their political donations from, after our initial investigation struggled to uncover basic details about who is behind major donations.
It has also thrust the issue of MPs second jobs back into the spotlight.
There have been calls for the rules to be tightened on outside earnings since the Owen Patterson lobbying scandal, which saw Tory MPs attempt to save a colleague who broke lobbing rules from punishment.
All MPs are paid a base salary of £84,144, while prime ministers get an additional £79,936 for a total of £164,080.
However, MPs are allowed to earn extra money through second jobs.
While the vast majority of top earners are Tory MPs, David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, has also made over £200,000 from outside earnings this parliament.
The updated register reveals income from speeches since November 16 of £32,300 and nearly £5,000 for six radio shows on LBC.
Sir Keir Starmer – who has backed a ban on second jobs with some exceptions – has defended Mr Lammy, suggesting media work is “part of the political process”.
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Keir Starmer defends David Lammy
Some changes into what second jobs MPs can have are due to come into effect later this year, with MPs to be banned from taking on work as political or parliamentary consultants from March.
One source involved in drafting the new rules suggested this could impact the second jobs of around 30 MPs.
But they will not prevent others from earning significant amounts for speeches, TV appearances and legal work.
Read more:
Boris Johnson’s large extra earnings criticised at PMQs
Westminster Accounts: 14 MPs given over £250,000 each in campaign donations since the last election
Rishi Sunak says ‘transparency really important’ as focus turns to MPs’ second jobs
Mr Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May, who stepped down in 2019, has a lengthy list of speaking engagements, including £408,200 for six talks in California, as well as flights and accommodation for her and a member of staff.
A speech she gave to the World Travel and Tourism Council in November 2022 earnt her £107,600.
Her entry in the register of members’ interests makes no mention of the fact this £107,600 speech was delivered in Saudi Arabia – a country she blocked ministers and officials from visiting for a period while she was prime minister following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Mrs May has said the money she earns goes into a company called the Office of Theresa May Limited, from which she pays herself £85,000 a year and the rest goes to support her charitable work and her staff.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Times the properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
Ms Siddiq is also named with her aunt in Bangladesh court documents about meetings with the Russian government.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir to sack the minister
Read more from Sky News:
Ten Reform councillors quit in protest
Liz Truss sends cease and desist letter to Starmer
As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for policy on both the City and tackling corruption.
She referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog on Monday following the reports about the properties.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti were last seen on CCTV in Market Street. Pic: Police Scotland/PA
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
The sisters crossed Victoria Bridge before walking along a footpath next to the River Dee
The pair were heading in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club on the south side of the River Dee
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.
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