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John –
Every now and then, we’re handed a stark reminder of why trust in politics is at rock bottom. When the public sees elected officials - most recently former Prime Minister Boris Johnson - blatantly exploiting political clout for personal gain, it reinforces the idea that politicians are only in it for the profit.
The APPG for Fair Elections laid out the facts earlier this year: most people in Britain now associate economic crime more with politicians than with any other profession. Nearly three-quarters of the country believe politics is “rigged to serve the rich and influential.”
Boris Johnson has done more than his share to fuel that impression. And now, the newly leaked “Boris Files” make it clear that even after his disastrous premiership - and despite leaving office in disgrace - he’s still using taxpayer subsidies and official connections to enrich himself.
Among the revelations:
* Saudi lobbying: Johnson pressed a Saudi contact to pitch a firm he co-chairs directly to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
* Venezuela cash: He pocketed £200,000+ from a hedge fund after meeting President Nicolás Maduro - despite claiming he wasn’t paid.
* Palantir meeting: While PM, he quietly met billionaire Peter Thiel months before Palantir landed an NHS data contract.
* (Another) lockdown breach: He hosted a Tory peer who bankrolled his Downing Street flat refurb - the day after lockdown began.
Regardless of the specifics of this leak, there are two things we can be sure of:
1. The rot goes deeper than Johnson. Starmer’s government has tinkered at the edges but left Britain’s broken lobbying, finance, and transparency rules largely untouched. Corruption thrives in that vacuum.
2. The next threat is already here. Nigel Farage is openly courting fossil fuel giants, crypto speculators, and goldbugs. With the same weak rules that Johnson exploited, he is poised to follow the same dodgy path.
This is not just about one man’s greed. It’s about a political system that lacks enforceable rules, transparency, and accountability. That’s why Open Britain is fighting for the reforms laid out in our Functional Democracy Goals and the APPG for Fair Elections’s recommendations: tougher lobbying laws, stronger financial rules, and a political system that works for the people – not the powerful few.
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Trust is the foundation of a healthy democracy. Without it, nothing else works. With your support, we can demand real reform, rebuild faith in politics, and prove that public life can still serve the public good.
All the best,
The Open Britain Team
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