Boris Johnson took a secretive major donor to Ukraine and nobody knows why

Businessman Christopher Harborne made the biggest ever single donation to an MP. That MP was Boris Johnson, who later took Harborne on an official visit to Ukraine. The problem is, according to a new report, nobody knows why.

In their Boris Files series, the Guardian describe Harborne as a major donor who gave £1 million to Johnson less than a year ago.

Harborne has fingers in many pies, a man with “wide expertise”:

…his holdings range from cryptocurrency and a wellness centre to jet fuel and stakes in at least three military contractors. His only apparent connection to Ukraine is as the biggest shareholder in a British weapons manufacturer whose robots and drones are reportedly supplied to its armed forces.

Johnson gonna Johnson

The Guardian claims the files show how Johnson has enriched himself since his time as PM ended. This includes by:

…sitting down with a Venezuelan despot and courting Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince accused of ordering the murder of a journalist.

When challenged on the files, Johnson responded angrily:

Your pathetic non-stories … seem mostly to be derived from some illegal Russian hack job. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

A leaked itinerary shows that only Johnson and Harborne were set to “attend the opening session of the high-level gathering”. The Guardian reported:

Images show Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Johnson addressed the gathered luminaries and the itinerary suggests they then retired for a private meeting. Zelenskyy’s office did not respond when asked if Johnson’s benefactor joined them.

Shadowy figure

Harborne, who once gave £10 million to the Brexit Party, is a mysterious character. He has lived in Thailand for two decades, has a Thai passport, and operates at times under a Thai name.

The Ukraine itinerary also included a meeting with military research and development firms in Ukraine. The Guardian noted that:

It does not say whether Harborne attended, but this is an area he knows well. While his position as the largest shareholder in QinetiQ, with 13%, does not give him a role in the day-to-day running of the privatised research unit of the UK armed forces, his financial stake in its operations is significant.

Qiniteq has supplied drones, bomb disposal equipment and 3D printers to Ukraine.

Opponent of Putin

One letter in the trove of documents has Johnson commending Harborne as “both a friend and a supporter of my office.” Johnson wrote:

He came with me on a recent trip to Ukraine and I know him to be a passionate opponent of the Putin regime.

The intended recipient of the letter is not known, though Harborne’s lawyers told the paper:

Mr Johnson provided a character reference for Mr Harborne in response to attacks on Mr Harborne’s character.

Mr Harborne is grateful to Mr Johnson.

Ahead of the game, as ever, the Canary originally reported on Harborne’s arms firm connections in 2023. Despite the fact that Boris Johnson may wish that people would look away and stop bothering to report on his wheelings and dealings, that’s just not going to happen.

Featured image via the Canary