The 1m man: Why did Boris Johnson take his donor to Ukraine?

"As he boarded the night train to Ukraine, Boris Johnson had the usual entourage of aides and bodyguards plus the man who had given him 1m. Less than a year had passed since Johnson accepted what is thought to be the largest donation ever to an individual MP. It was from Christopher Harborne, one of the UK's biggest and most private political donors. Harborne, whose millions helped bankroll Brexit, made the payment to a private company Johnson set up after resigning as prime minister."

"The organisers of the high-level gathering they attended in Kyiv say Harborne was registered as adviser, Office of Boris Johnson. Harborne has wide expertise: a self-described digital nomad, his holdings range from cryptocurrency and a wellness centre to jet fuel and stakes in at least three military contractors. His only apparent connection to Ukraine is as the biggest shareholder in a British weapons manufacturer whose robots and drones are reportedly supplied to its armed forces."

"The Boris Files, leaked documents from Johnson's private office, have exposed how he has sought to enrich himself since leaving office by sitting down with a Venezuelan despot and courting Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince accused of ordering the murder of a journalist. The Ukrainian cause, by contrast, is sacred to Johnson, one political consultant says, an enduring source of moral authority for a politician who was forced out of Downing Street amid scandal. The leaked files raise questions about whether, even here, he has blurred the lines between public service and money-making."

Boris Johnson received a £1m payment from Christopher Harborne to a private company Johnson formed after leaving office. Harborne, a significant and private political donor who helped finance Brexit, accompanied Johnson on a two-day visit to Kyiv in September 2023 that included meetings with senior officials. Organisers registered Harborne as an adviser to Johnson. Harborne’s business interests span cryptocurrency, a wellness centre, jet fuel and stakes in military contractors, and he is a major shareholder in a British weapons firm reportedly supplying drones and robots to Ukrainian forces. Leaked files prompt concerns about blurred lines between advocacy and personal enrichment.

Read at www.theguardian.com