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Boris Johnson's Daily Telegraph salary is £275,000 a year

Former foreign secretary earns £2,291 an hour for weekly column 

Zamira Rahim
Wednesday 03 October 2018 20:12 BST
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Boris Johnson accuses Theresa May of trying to 'manacle' the UK as he tilts to Conservative leadership

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Boris Johnson earns £275,000 a year for his weekly column at The Daily Telegraph, the same rate he enjoyed in 2016 when he resigned from the newspaper after his appointment as foreign secretary.

The parliamentary register of members' interests shows that the politician was re-hired at the same salary by The Daily Telegraph after resigning from the cabinet position this summer.

Mr Johnson spends 10 hours a month writing his column, for which he earns £22,916.66 a month, equivalent to a rate of £2,291 an hour.

The 54-year-old's articles are meant to be put behind the newspaper's paywall but Mr Johnson has repeatedly posted the full column on his Facebook page, where it can be read for free.

His columns have provided the paper with regular front page stories, including on his thoughts on Brexit and Theresa May's plan to leave the European Union.

He has also courted controversy through some of his articles, including one in which he compared Muslim women who wear burqas to letterboxes.

Mr Johnson also continues to earn thousands of pounds a year on royalties from his previous books.

The Daily Telegraph's profits fell by 49 per cent last year after the newspaper suffered from a sharp drop in advertising revenue.

Nick Hugh, the newspaper's chief executive, has pledged to maintain long-term investment in its journalism.

Additional reporting by Press Association

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