Boris Johnson left Downing Street in 2022, moving to his new lavish home a year later. Nearly four years after being forced from No10, the former Prime Minister has swapped Cabinet meetings for lucrative speaking gigs, international conferences, and life at a sprawling country estate complete with its own moat.
Despite earning millions and enjoying a lifestyle that many would envy, those close to the former Tory leader insist he still harbours ambitions of returning to frontline politics one day. Here, on his 63rd birthday, we take a look at his life since leaving Downing Street.
Mansion
Brightwell Manor is located in Oxfordshire. When Boris and his wife Carrie purchased Brightwell Manor in the Oxfordshire village of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell in 2023, it seemed like the ultimate countryside retreat. The Grade II-listed property, which dates back more than 400 years, boasts nine bedrooms, extensive grounds, a tennis court, walled gardens, and a genuine moat. The couple are thought to have spent £3.8 million on the lavish home.
The historic manor is far from the cramped flat above No10 where Boris spent his time as Prime Minister between 2019 and 2022. Planning documents approved last year even allowed for further improvements to the property, with proposals including a swimming pool complex and additional outbuildings. Carrie, 38, shares four children with Boris and has shared glimpses into their home on social media. In one post, she showed son Frank's 'English Garden' themed nursery with hand-painted trees on the wall.
The listing for the home previously shared: 'The heart of the house is believed to date back to 1605, with the rooms that are currently the sitting room, family room and oak-panelled bedroom suite making up the oldest part of the property. Towards the end of the 18th century the attractive symmetrical Georgian frontage was added. The annexe and kitchen were built in the 1950s, in keeping with the Georgian character of the house.' Boris previously shared more grand plans to make the property the perfect place for his kids. 'I'm building a garage for the quad bike. Not a big quad bike, it was a miniature quad bike. They're too small for quad bikes,' he explained on Talk TV.
The £5 million side hustle
Boris Johnson has made numerous high profile appearances that have paid thousands. Since leaving office, the former Conservative leader has amassed millions through speeches and appearances. Leaked files have shown that Boris earned close to £5 million in the period after leaving Downing Street, with speaking engagements accounting for a huge proportion of that income. According to reports based on leaked records from his private office, Boris has delivered dozens of paid speeches around the world between 2022 and 2024, earning more than £5 million in total.
Those appearances include discussing leadership at a major conference in Delhi. He also addressed technology executives at a blockchain symposium in Singapore. Other appearances reportedly included a public lecture series in Lagos and a summit dedicated to green hydrogen in Abu Dhabi. Each engagement reportedly attracted fees in the region of £260,000. Boris was announced as a keynote speaker at Masdar's Green Hydrogen Summit in April 2024, joining ministers, industry leaders, and clean-energy experts from around the world. Organisers promoted him as one of the event's headline attractions.
Is Boris plotting a comeback?
Ever since he left Parliament in 2023, rumours of a political comeback have continued to swirl around Westminster. Boris briefly considered entering the Conservative leadership contest following Liz Truss's resignation in 2022 before ultimately deciding not to run. The Conservative Party's struggles in recent years have only fuelled speculation among some supporters that Boris could one day seek a return to frontline politics. While there is no formal campaign and no announced plan, reports of his continued interest in public affairs have kept comeback rumours alive.
Writing for The Independent, James Kirkup, a senior fellow of the Social Market Foundation, said 'don't rule out' a comeback for Boris, adding: 'Almost every former politician I've known in nearly 30 years at Westminster still sometimes yearns to go back, to have the power and the attention once again. I have no doubt that Johnson feels that pull as sharply as any and probably more; that he dreams of the moment when the stars align again, and the opportunity arises for him to leave the golden happiness of his retirement and bestride the stage once again.' For now, Boris appears to be enjoying a life living in a moated manor, flying around the world, and collecting six-figure cheques.
