【By Chen Sijia, Observer News】Recently, a large number of documents from the private office of former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson were leaked. These documents reveal how Johnson used his connections and influence gained during his tenure to gain benefits, raising public doubts in the UK about whether Johnson violated government regulations.

According to a report by The Guardian on September 8, the leaked data, known as the "Boris Files," includes over 1,800 documents, covering emails, letters, invoices, and business contracts. They mainly involve the internal operations of a company established by Johnson after he left office. Most of the leaked documents date from September 2022 to July 2024, with some files traceable to Johnson's time as Prime Minister.

The non-profit organization "Distributed Denial of Secrets," registered in the United States, disclosed these documents. This organization specializes in preserving documents that have been leaked or exposed due to cyber attacks. However, "Distributed Denial of Secrets" told The Guardian that they do not know the exact source of the leaked documents.

Johnson served as the UK Prime Minister from July 2019 to September 2022. After violating pandemic regulations and being ousted over the "Partygate" scandal, Johnson signed with several conservative-leaning British media outlets, acting as a host, producer, commentator, and columnist. He also gave commercial speeches around the world, earning millions of pounds in income.

"Recommending Consulting Firms to Saudi Officials"

The leaked documents show that Johnson recently contacted senior Saudi officials he met during his tenure, attempting to recommend the services of the British consulting firm Better Earth. Johnson claimed that the company's services "might be useful to Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia."

The Guardian revealed that Johnson had lunch with Saudi officials at a private members' club and wrote a handwritten letter to Crown Prince Mohammed, calling himself a "passionate supporter of Mohammed's vision for Saudi Arabia." In the letter, he wrote: "I very much want to explore whether (Better Earth) could be useful for you and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in achieving your ambitions - I believe it can."

In March 2022, then-UK Prime Minister Johnson visited Saudi Arabia. Visual China

Johnson also boasted in the letter that Better Earth "is not only a consulting company but also a project developer," and that the company "hopes to send an expert team to Saudi Arabia" to assess opportunities for cooperative development of a "net-zero geothermal power generation" project. He stated that the company was very eager to meet with appropriate Saudi ministers.

Better Earth is a consulting company founded in 2023 by Canadian businessman Amir Adnani, who owns a uranium mining company worth billions of dollars.

It is unclear how Johnson came to know Adnani. However, British media noticed that during Johnson's time as UK Prime Minister, he met with a senior executive of Adnani's mining group in May 2022, where they discussed nuclear power issues.

After founding Better Earth, Adnani hired Johnson, who had left Downing Street, as the company's co-chairman. According to the documents, this was a part-time position, with Johnson receiving an annual salary of £120,000 and 12.5% equity in the company. The shareholders of Better Earth also include seven of Johnson's close friends and advisers.

It is unclear how the Saudis responded to Johnson. The Saudi government has not commented on the revelations. The Guardian pointed out that these details have raised questions about whether Johnson violated the lobbying restrictions imposed on former cabinet officials.

"Secret Meetings with a U.S. Billionaire"

Johnson also maintained close contact with Peter Thiel, the billionaire founder of the data analytics company Palantir, during the pandemic, when the company received contracts from the UK government. Documents show that Johnson held "secret meetings" with Thiel while in office.

The report states that after Johnson was elected UK Prime Minister in 2019, he met with Thiel in August of that year, but this meeting was not disclosed in the UK government's public meeting records. It was only marked as a "private activity" in Johnson's daily schedule for that day. This action also put Johnson at risk of violating the rules and raised public concerns about the transparency of government meeting records.

The Guardian noted that meetings held in the capacity of a Prime Minister must be disclosed in the public government diary. Only political meetings related to party affairs and private meetings with friends or family are exempt. Thiel is not a donor to the UK Conservative Party, and as an American, he cannot donate to British politicians.

It is unclear why the Johnson government chose to hide this meeting. Johnson and Thiel have not responded so far.

Thiel is one of the supporters of US President Trump. He founded the data analytics company Palantir, and remains an important shareholder. During the pandemic, Palantir helped the UK National Health Service (NHS) manage data and received a follow-up contract worth £60 million. In 2023, Palantir secured a £330 million joint data platform contract, which is the largest IT contract the NHS has ever awarded. However, the company's involvement in the UK health system has raised concerns about privacy breaches. NHS insists that the UK government retains ownership of all data.

Has Johnson Gone Too Far?

The leaked documents also revealed that Johnson violated pandemic regulations during the pandemic by dining with a British Conservative MP, who had provided him with £58,000 for apartment renovations.

During his time as UK Prime Minister, Johnson repeatedly violated pandemic regulations, and the "Partygate" scandal was one of the reasons for his downfall. "Partygate" dates back to November and December 2020, when social gathering restrictions were in place in the UK, but Johnson and other UK government officials were caught holding gatherings, violating pandemic regulations.

Reports about how Johnson obtained substantial income after leaving office have drawn attention to a little-known government scheme that allows former UK Prime Ministers to apply for government funds to cover expenses related to their "special status in public life." The Guardian reports that this annual six-figure grant, called the "Public Duty Cost Allowance" (PDCA), is intended to support former UK Prime Ministers in fulfilling public duties, not for private or commercial activities. A senior UK official confirmed that Johnson applied for funding under this scheme to pay for the salaries of his private office staff.

Official UK data shows that since leaving the government, Johnson has applied for £182,000 in PDCA funds.

On October 12, 2024, in Manchester, UK, Johnson talks about his memoir. Visual China

However, according to the leaked documents, Johnson's office played a central role in managing his business affairs, including managing his collaboration with the UK Daily Mail and GB News news channel, as well as his global speaking engagements. For example, from October 2022 to May 2024, Johnson earned approximately £5.1 million from 34 speeches.

It is not uncommon for former UK Prime Ministers to earn income through paid speeches, and this does not violate any rules. However, there are restrictions on the commercial activities that they can engage in after leaving office, including not using contacts established during their tenure with foreign governments and business organizations for lobbying purposes. The Guardian pointed out that the leaked documents have raised questions: has Johnson gone too far?

Johnson has not responded to the allegations. The Guardian expects that the disclosure of the "Boris Files" will put pressure on Johnson to explain whether his recent actions in pursuing commercial interests with foreign officials comply with the regulations.

This article is an exclusive piece by Observer News. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

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