Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ignited controversy after confirming his new role as a columnist for the Daily Mail. Despite pledging to provide uncensored perspectives, Johnson is

under scrutiny as the anti-corruption watchdog in Whitehall revealed that he had not sought clearance for his new position. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) criticized Johnson, stating that he had breached the rules by only informing them 30 minutes prior to the public announcement of his columnist role.

The right-leaning newspaper took to Twitter to express their delight in welcoming Johnson as "one of the wittiest and most original writers in the business." In a video accompanying the announcement, Johnson expressed his enthusiasm for contributing to the newspaper and vowed to deliver "completely unexpurgated stuff." While he jokingly mentioned that he would cover politics only when necessary, his column provides him with a powerful platform to criticize Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, with whom he has publicly clashed. The column will be published every Saturday.

Speculation had been rife regarding Johnson's return to journalism following his recent resignation as a Member of Parliament. His abrupt departure preceded a report that revealed he had misled Parliament regarding breaches of lockdown rules while serving as Prime Minister. Prior to his party leadership, Johnson received a salary of £275,000 for writing for the Telegraph, a figure likely to pale in comparison to what he will earn as a former premier.

However, Acoba indicated that it had not been informed about Johnson's new role. According to the independent watchdog, former ministers who have left the government within the last two years must seek approval before accepting new appointments. Acoba stated that they will be writing to Johnson, as no application had been submitted.

A source close to Johnson claimed that he had indeed written to Acoba, although the timing of the letter was not disclosed. Johnson now joins his steadfast ally Nadine Dorries, who writes a weekly column for the Daily Mail. Dorries, the former culture secretary who has also announced her exit from the Commons, recently used her column to suggest the presence of "sinister forces" behind her exclusion from Johnson's controversial resignation honours list. Former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre was also initially considered for the list but was reportedly removed during the House of Lords vetting process. Photo by Ben Shread, Wikimedia commons.