BORIS Johnson is “always worried about money” despite earning £150,000 a year as Prime Minister, according to new reports.
The Times spoke to friends and colleagues of the Tory leader who say he currently seems “subdued” in his role.
One senior Conservative, who meets with Johnson regularly, told the newspaper you can see “misery etched on his face” in public appearances.
Those in contact with the PM say he is struggling with certain elements of the job during the pandemic. In a personal capacity, they say he is worried and complaining about money.
The sources say Johnson is still supporting four of his six children and has been through an expensive divorce – he also saw his income drop by more than 50% when he became PM.
READ MORE: Sturgeon stunned as Johnson goes AWOL in middle of pandemic
While an MP Johnson raked in £275,000 from his Daily Telegraph column and earned plenty from other speaking engagements. In total, he was bringing in more than £350,000 annually.
Now PM he brings in £150,000 a year but does not receive the amount in full due to various government bills and taxes attached to the job.
A friend told the newspaper: “Boris, like other prime ministers, is very, very badly served.
“He doesn’t have a housekeeper — he has a single cleaner and they’re worried about being able to afford a nanny.
“He’s stuck in the flat and Downing Street is not a nice place to live. It’s not like the Élysée or the White House where you can get away from it all because they’re so big. Even if he or Carrie want to go into the rose garden they have to go through the office.”
Meanwhile another friend said that Johnson is “always worried about money, he has a genuine need to provide for his family, all of them, and I think that does worry him”.
Others are concerned about the Prime Minister as they are not convinced he has made a full recovery from Covid-19.
Another close contact of the Tory leader said government ministers tell them he looks unwell.
“He’s pin sharp one day and then he will say to somebody in his own inimitable way ‘Why have you not briefed me on that?’ and he’ll be told ‘You were told that yesterday,’” they said.
However, those who work for Johnson in Downing Street deny this and say he is just working long hours.
While working as foreign secretary in 2017 there were reports Jonson felt his salary of £141,405 a year was not enough to live on.
He told friends the earnings weren’t sufficient because of his “extensive family responsibilities”, a report in the Sunday Times said.
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