London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

Boris Johnson writing memoir about his time as PM

Boris Johnson writing memoir about his time as PM

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has signed a deal to write a book about his turbulent time as prime minister, described as a "memoir like no other".

Publisher HarperCollins has bought the rights to the memoir, which is yet to be titled.

No publication date has been set for the account of Mr Johnson's time in office.

A biographer and friend of Mr Johnson said he expected the former PM to make a "vast sum" from the book deal.

"It will be tremendously readable and no ghost writer will be required," Andrew Gimson, author of The Rise of Boris Johnson, told the BBC. "People pay vast amounts of money for these books."

Literary agents have predicted Mr Johnson could be paid "north of £1m" for a memoir about his spell as prime minister.

HarperCollins refused to share details about how much Mr Johnson was paid for the deal, when the book might be finished, or how many copies it expected to sell.

In brief statement, its publishing director, Arabella Pike, said: "I look forward to working with Boris Johnson as he writes his account of his time in office during some of the most momentous events the United Kingdom has seen in recent times."

Mr Johnson was forced to resign by his ministers last July after a series of controversies shattered confidence in his leadership.

He attempted a comeback after his successor, Liz Truss, quit within weeks of taking office, but ultimately stood aside, and saw Rishi Sunak become prime minister.

Mr Johnson's time in office was defined, in part, by the Covid-19 pandemic and the UK's departure from the European Union.


'Rescuing his reputation'


There has been speculation that Mr Johnson is plotting a return to frontline politics and has said he will stand again as an MP at the next general election.

Mr Gimson said the memoir will be "an important exercise in rescuing his reputation" and "part of the audience for this will be his own party".

"He's got to tell those people I'm worth another go," Mr Gimson said, predicting the book could be published this year.

A former journalist, Mr Johnson had a long career in the media before becoming prime minister, working as editor of the Spectator from 1999 to 2005 and as a columnist for the Telegraph.

Other UK prime ministers have secured lucrative books deals, receiving large sums for the publishing rights.

Sir Tony Blair was reported to have been paid about £5m in 2007 for his political memoir A Journey, while David Cameron was reported to have earned £1.5m for his memoir, For The Record.

Mr Johnson has already written a number of books, including The Churchill Factor, a biography of his hero and wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill.

As a backbench Conservative MP, Mr Johnson has also made a considerable amount of money touring the speaking circuit, declaring more than £1m in speaking fees since leaving office in September.

Last week, parliamentary records showed a company set up by Mr Johnson had received a £1m donation from crypto-currency investor.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
×