Overview

• A trove of about 1,820 files from Boris Johnson’s private office indicates lobbying of a senior Saudi official for a firm he co‑chairs and a payment of more than £200,000 from a hedge fund after a meeting with Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.
• Cabinet Office data confirms Johnson has claimed £182,000 under the Public Duty Costs Allowance since leaving office, with documents showing office staff involved in commercial work.
• The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments says it is examining the reports, and cross‑party figures including Liberal Democrats and senior Labour MPs are urging suspension of Johnson’s £115,000 annual support pending investigation.
• Three former prime ministers — Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and Liz Truss — say their allowances fund only public duties, with Brown calling for mandatory disclosure of ex‑PMs’ business interests.
• Johnson has not responded to requests for comment; Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch defended his right to earn after office, and the files were shared with journalists by Distributed Denial of Secrets, which says the leak’s provenance is unknown.