Conservative Party MPs believe the Prime Minister, who used to earn £23,000 a month as a newspaper columnist, wants out in six months' time after he's sorted Brexit
Boris Johnson plans to resign as Prime Minister next spring, Tory MPs believe.
They say he has been privately complaining that he cannot live on a PM’s salary of £150,402 a year.
But first he wants another six months to get Brexit sorted and see the UK turn the corner from the pandemic, it is thought.
He is said to be jealous of his predecessor Theresa May, who has earned more than £1million on the lecture circuit since quitting as PM last year.
Mr Johnson believes he could pull in at least double that.
Shortly before entering No10 he made £160,000 in one month from two speeches. He was also paid £23,000 a month for a regular newspaper column.
One MP said: “Boris has at least six children, some young enough to need financial help.
“And he had to pay ex-wife Marina Wheeler a shedload as part of their divorce deal.”
Mr Johnson also has his six-month-old son Wilfred’s future education to consider. Sending him to his old school Eton will cost £42,500 a year.
Of other ex-Premiers, David Cameron commands £120,000 for a speech and Tony Blair is worth an estimated £22million from lectures and consultancy.
MPs say while Mr Johnson yearned to be PM he is not so keen on actually doing the job.
One added: “Boris is the typical adulterer. More interested in the chase than the prize.”
There is now fevered behind-the-scenes activity as PM hopefuls jockey for position.
Five contenders await: Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Cabinet Office chief Michael Gove, ex-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and former Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt.
The bookies’ favourite is Mr Sunak, as he has given away £300billion in Covid cash.
Mr Gove will have the support of Mr Johnson’s chief aide Dominic Cummings, who advised him when he was Education Secretary.
But a senior Tory said: “That might well go against Michael. The last thing we want is for Cummings to stay in No10.”
As First Secretary and Cabinet No2 Mr Raab has the benefit of having done Mr Johnson’s job when the PM was off sick with Covid-19 this year.
But Mr Hunt has not given up hope, despite being trounced in last year’s leadership contest, and can be seen seeking support among MPs in the Commons.
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