Mr Boris Johnson: Resolution Letter - Parliament

1 Complaints rectified 2008‐09
Mr Boris Johnson: Resolution Letter
Letter to Ms Karen Buck MP from the Commissioner, 25 June 2008
I have now completed my consideration of the complaint you sent me on 23 April against Mr Boris Johnson, who at
the time was the Member for Henley.
In essence, your complaint was that Mr Johnson failed to register in the time required his shareholding in Finland
Station Ltd, contrary to the rules relating to the registration of Members' interests.
My conclusion is that Mr Johnson was in breach of the rules of the House in failing to register in time his
shareholdings in Finland Station Ltd. Mr Johnson has explained to me that this was an oversight because he was not
aware that his shares had any pecuniary value (his holding was of 33 shares each worth £l).
Mr Johnson has apologised for this oversight. He subsequently registered his shareholdings in the Register of
Members’ Interests. His entry has, of course, now been removed since he is no longer a Member of Parliament.
Mr Johnson recognised his oversight therefore and took steps to rectify it. He has apologised. I regard the matter as
now closed. I shall report the outcome to the Committee on Standards and Privileges at its next meeting.
I am copying this letter to Mr Boris Johnson.
25 June 2010

2 Complaints rectified 2008‐09
Mr Boris Johnson: Written Evidence
1. Letter to the Commissioner from Ms Karen Buck MP, 23 April 2008
I am writing to complain that Boris Johnson has failed to comply with Category 9(a) of the registration of Members’
Interests rules, which state that all shareholdings exceeding 15% of a company’s shares must be recorded in the
Register of Member’s Interests. I enclose a copy of the report detailing these allegations, which appears on the
Evening Standard’s website.
I would be very grateful if you would make inquiries and respond to this complaint.
Thank you very much.
23 April 2008
2. Article on the Evening Standard website, 23 April 2008
BORIS Johnson has breached Parliamentary rules by failing to declare shares in a TV production company.
The Standard has found that the Tory mayoral candidate holds more than a third of the shares in Finland Station but
has not published them on the MPs’ register of members’ interests.
Under the code of conduct for MPs, any shareholding greater than 15 per cent of a company has to be registered.
Any Parliamentarian who breaches the rules is liable to an investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for
Standards and the revelation is sure to be seized on by opponents as proof of Mr Johnson’s lack of competence.
The Henley MP has put at the heart of his mayoral campaign a pledge to put the City Hall register of interest on the
internet to prove just how transparent his new administration would be.
The TV firm in which he has shares, previously known as Black Rock Productions, makes films in which he stars. It
has so far produced two history documentaries, “The Flame of Rome” and “Boris and the Clash of Civilisations”,
which were presented by Mr Johnson. Both were commissioned following the success of a popular history
programme, “Dream of Rome”, which was shown by the BBC in 2006.
Companies House documents obtained by the Standard show that Mr Johnson has owned 33 per cent of the shares
in the TV company since it was first created September 2006.
He failed to register the shareholding for nearly 20 months—despite a clear rule for MPs requiring disclosure of such
financial interests. According to the code of conduct for MPs, any shareholding “greater than 15 per cent of the
issued share capital of the company” or worth more than the Parliamentary salary of £60,000 has to be declared
publicly.
On 28 January this year, Mr Johnson did declare in the MPs’ register—here’s his most recent entry for last month an
unspecified income from Finland Station for the making of “The Flame of Rome” but made no other reference to it.
Finland Station has yet to produce trading accounts, so it is impossible to state how much Johnson’s stake in the
private company may be worth.
He set the business up with [...] and [...] and it trades from offices in Soho.
This is the second time that Mr Johnson has breached the rules on his finances. Earlier this year he was reprimanded
by the Electoral Commission for failing to correctly declare £45,000 in donations a situation subsequently remedied
by a series of late registrations. His behaviour was described by the watchdog at the time as “unacceptable”.
.....
Shareholding on the MPs’ Register of Interests.

3 Complaints rectified 2008‐09
A spokeswoman said that he was not aware of the 15 per cent rule but he took personal responsibility for the
“oversight”.
“Boris Johnson has disclosed income from Finland Station, (formerly Black Rock) a television production company
in which he has a one third interest. Boris has declared a payment from Finland Station of £30,000 as writer and
presenter of a documentary. This the only income he has received from the company,” she said in a statement.
“There have been no dividends paid nor are there expected to be in the near future. Finland Station is properly
registered with Companies House as is Boris Johnson’s interest in the company. Although he has received no other
income from the company, shareholding has been registered today with Parliament after this matter was brought to
his attention. This is an oversight which Boris Johnson takes ultimate responsibility for.”
The spokeswoman said that Black Rock Productions was changed to Finland Station because another firm already
had the same name.
But although Team Boris says that it has now informed the Registrar of Members’ Interests, the register is in practice
only likely to be updated later today.
...
3. Letter to Mr Boris Johnson MP from the Commissioner, 24 April
2008
I would welcome your comments on a complaint I have received from Karen Buck MP in respect of the registration
of your shareholdings in the Register of Members’ Interests.
In essence, Ms Buck’s complaint is that you failed to register in the time required your shareholding in Finland
Station contrary to the rules relating to the registration of Members’ Interests.
Paragraph 11 of the Guide to the Rules relating to the conduct of Members provides as follows:
“Members of Parliament are required to complete a registration form and submit it to the Commissioner for
Standards within three months of their election to the House (whether at a general election or a by-election).
After the initial publication of the Register (or, in the case of Members returned at by-elections, after their initial
registration) it is the responsibility of Members to notify changes in their registrable interests within four weeks
of each change occurring.”
Category 9 provides guidance on the registration of shareholdings in the following terms:
Shareholdings: Interests in shareholdings held by the Member, either personally, or with or on behalf of the
Member's spouse or partner or dependent children, in any public or private company or other body which are:
(a) greater than 15 per cent of the issued share capital of the company or body; or
(b) 15 per cent or less of the issued share capital, but greater in value than the current parliamentary salary.
The nature of the company's business in each case should be registered.
The following paragraphs 42 to 45 give more detailed advice on this category.
I have noted that you registered your shareholding in Finland Station in the Register of Members’ Interests on 23
April 2008.
I would welcome your comments on this complaint taking account of the relevant rules. In particular, it would be
helpful to know;
When your shareholding reached the 15% threshold set out in category 9 of the rules;
What consideration you gave to registration of that interest within the necessary four week period and, if you did not

egister in time, why that was so;
4 Complaints rectified 2008‐09
If you accept that there has been a failure to register in time, what actions you propose to take to respond to that
failure.
I attach a note which sets out the procedures I follow in considering complaints. I have written to the complainant to
let her know I have accepted her complaint and I am inviting your views on it. If you would like a word about of this
at any time, please contact me at the above address or give me a telephone call.
I would welcome your help with this inquiry.
24 April 2008
4. Letter to the Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests from Mr
Boris Johnson MP, 23 April 2008
I would be very grateful if you would add the following to my entry in the Register of Members Interests.
From 7 April 2006 to present:
One third share in company, Finland Station Ltd.
Registered address: 2 Townsend House, 22 Dean Street, London, W1D 3RY
From 7 April 2006 to 21 March 2007 this company was called Black Rock Productions Ltd.
I have not received any dividend income from this company. I would be pleased to supply any further details you
require.
23 April 2008
5. Letter to the Commissioner from Mr Boris Johnson, 10 June 2008
Further to our telephone call, I wanted to write to you to apologise for my oversight in failing to register my
shareholding in Finland Station Ltd.
As I explained, this oversight arose because there was no pecuniary value to the Directorship. Following my election
as Mayor of London, I have decided to end my Directorship and the lawyers are currently drawing up papers to this
effect.
I have previously registered the fee which I received from Finland Station Ltd for my role in a television series.
10 June 2008
6. Letter to Mr Boris Johnson from the Commissioner, 17 June 2008
Thank you for your letter of 10 June about registering your shareholding in Finland Station Ltd when you were a
Member of Parliament.
I have noted that there was no pecuniary value to your Directorship of this company. There was, therefore, no need
separately for you to register what I take from what you say to be an unremunerated Directorship.

5 Complaints rectified 2008‐09
The complaint, however, was not about registration of your Directorship, but about the registration of your
shareholding in Finland Station Ltd. Your registration entry which you sent the Registrar on 23 April 2008 1 notes
that you had a one-third share in the company (and its predecessor Black Rock Productions Ltd) from 7 April 2006.
May I take it from your letter that the reason you did not register this shareholding was because the shares
themselves had no pecuniary value? I would be very grateful if you could either confirm or correct this assumption
based on your previous letter.
As you know, I do need to resolve this complaint very soon and would be very grateful, therefore, if you could let me
have a response within the next few days.
17 June 2008
7. Letter to the Commissioner from Mr Boris Johnson, sent by e-mail
on 19 June 2008
Further to our previous correspondence and to conversations between our offices, I am writing to provide the
clarification you requested.
To clarify, I was both a Director of, and Shareholder in, Finland Station Ltd. Following my election as Mayor of
London, I have decided to end my Directorship and dispose of my shares. Lawyers are currently drawing up papers
to this effect.
As a Shareholder, I hold 33 shares in the company, which have a value of £1 each. I will sell these shares as soon as
my resignation is completed for the same value, namely £33.
19 June 2008
8. Letter to the Commissioner from Mr Boris Johnson MP, sent by email
on 20 June 2008
You have asked in response to my letter of 19 June 2 why I did not declare that the 33 shares I have in Finland Station
Ltd are worth £1 each.
I am writing [to] clarify that [I] was unaware that these shares had any pecuniary value.
20 June 2008
1 WE 4
2 The Commissioner’s office asked for clarification of this.