FORMER Prime Minister Boris Johnson could earn between £5 million and £10 million a year outside Parliament, according to a leading talent agent.
Jonathan Shalit, commenting on reports that Mr Johnson has signed a book deal for a seven-figure sum, told GB News: “Boris could make between £5 million and £10 million a year.
“I think anyone who has been a prime minister has got an interesting story to tell and that clearly, if it’s a choice between Liz Truss or Boris Johnson…you’re going to pay for Boris over Liz.
“But Liz is still an ex-prime minister and the fact she can talk about what it was like to be in Downing Street, albeit for a short amount of time.
“She’s actually one of the last people to meet the Queen. It’s such an incredible story, it’s a very short story. I think for Liz Trust, the interest is in her being honest about why it was so disastrous – it’ll be fascinating.
“If she continues to try and gloss over what happened like she was some sort of heroine and got it right, which clearly she didn’t, then it’ll have a short shelf life.”
Asked what Mr Johnson might include in his book, Mr Shalit said: “He comes to the book as an established writer, there’s his journey in Parliament, his journey as the Mayor of London, his journey in his private life.
“The thing about writing a book is you have to tell the truth and you have to go everywhere. If you’re selective about what you pick, then your book will get attacked.”
In an interview with Esther McVey and Philip Davies on GB News, he said: “He’s made mistakes. He’s had a very colourful private life, he probably won’t want to go to some of those areas…
“If he just says my political years in Parliament, then he can stick to that. But as he puts it out there as a fully blown autobiography, he needs to give the whole story.
“I would expect someone like Boris Johnson should have got between £1 million and £2 million in advance.
“This is going to be an extraordinary book, it is going to be read all over the world, it is going to become a backbone political memoir to be looked at by students for many years to come, it will be serialised in many publications globally.
“From the publisher’s point of view, they’re going to get a big return on his book.”
He added: “I think with Boris there’s no worry about it being bland. There’s nothing ever bland about Boris.
“Boris is going to say things that will be fascinating, provoke challenges, create debate. It will be an incredible book and whether you agree or disagree will be compelling to read.”
