Boris Johnson: Former prime minister to host GB News show

Image source, Reuters

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced he is joining GB News.

Mr Johnson, who stepped down as an MP earlier this year, will work for the news channel as a presenter, programme maker and commentator.

He will "play a key role" in coverage of the UK and US elections next year and will host a series "showcasing the power of Britain around the world", the broadcaster said.

Mr Johnson said he was "excited" to take up the new role on the channel.

In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Johnson promised to share his "unvarnished views" on politics and global issues.

He said: "I am excited to say that I am shortly going to be joining you on GB News.

"I'm going to be giving this remarkable new TV channel my unvarnished views on everything from Russia, China, the war in Ukraine, how we meet all those challenges."

In a statement, he added: "I will be talking about the immense opportunities for Global Britain - as well as the challenges - and why our best days are yet to come."

Johnson, who also writes a column for the Daily Mail, is the latest Conservative politician to join the broadcaster, following former Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, party deputy chairman Lee Anderson, and husband-and-wife MPs Esther McVey and Philip Davies.

After leaving Downing Street in September 2022, Mr Johnson remained as the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, but in June announced that he was standing down and left Parliament after a by-election in July.

Former ministers are required to seek advice from the independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) about any employment they wish to take up within two years of leaving office.

After being approached by Mr Johnson, the committee said taking up the role with GB News did not "raise any particular concerns under the government rules".

However, it advised that Mr Johnson should be subject to a number of conditions, including not drawing on any privileged material available to him from his time in office and not being personally involved in any lobbying of the government on behalf of GB News for two years from the date he stepped down as prime minister.

Earlier this year, Acoba said Mr Johnson had committed an "unambiguous breach" of the ministerial code by not clearing his Daily Mail job with the committee.