Boris Johnson resigns: government resignations could cost taxpayer more than £250,000 in ‘severance payouts’

Ministers who have resigned or been sacked from Boris Johnson’s government could be set to receive payouts worth a combined total of more than £250,000, no matter how long they were in their role.

Michelle Donelan, who served as Education Secretary for just two days, could receive £17,000.

How much will MPs who resigned from government get in severance payments?

Of the MPs to have resigned from government jobs in recent days, more than half (25) could be entitled to significant payouts.

These include Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid, who resigned as Chancellor and Health Secretary respectively on Tuesday.

Both men, as well as Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis, Welsh Secretary Simon Hart and newly-appointed Education Secretary Michelle Donelan could be in line for payouts worth around £17,000 each.

For Ms Donelan, who took the post on Tuesday evening and resigned on Thursday morning, the payout would amount to around £9,000 per day spent in office.

Responding to claims that she would receive the payout on Twitter, Ms Donelan said she would donate the payout “in full to a local charity”.

Despite being sacked from his role as Housing and Levelling Up minister, rather than resigning, Michael Gove could also be set to receive a payout of the same amount.

Ministers of state who have announced their resignation, such as Stuart Andrew, Victoria Atkins and Ed Argar, will potentially be entitled to payouts worth around £8,500 each.

There are seven MPs who could qualify for payouts of this amount, while a further 12 MPs could receive around £6,200 each after tendering their resignations from government.

According to the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, any minister under the age of 65 who leaves government and does not take up another role within three weeks is entitled to a payout equal to a quarter of their annual ministerial salary.

Alex Chalk, who resigned as Solicitor General, could be entitled to a payout worth around £15,000.

Will Boris Johnson get a payout?

According to the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, neither the Prime Minister or the Speaker of the House of Commons are entitled to a severance payment upon leaving the role.

This is because these roles already entitle them to “preferential pension arrangements,” worth significantly more than the severance payouts.

However, upon leaving office in 2016 David Cameron accepted a payout worth around £20,000 in lieu of his pension.

It is unclear yet whether Boris Johnson intends to accept the pension or a severance payment instead.

Once he has left office, Mr Johnson will be entitled to claim up to £115,000 per year toward the cost of maintaining his public duties.

All former prime ministers are entitled to claim this amount each year under the Public Duties Cost Allowance.

NationalWorld has contacted all MPs who are potentially in line to receive a payout to ask if they would accept it.