Boris Johnson's reshuffle is likely to have cost taxpayers more than £100,000 in "golden goodbyes" to sacked ministers.

Under legislation introduced in 1991, ministers forced out of office are entitled to a quarter of their yearly ministerial salary if they are under the age of 65.

The prime minister sacked eight ministers in the reshuffle on Thursday, with the group now entitled to payouts worth thousands of pounds.

Top of the list is Geoffrey Cox, who was earning a salary of £94,450 in his role as attorney general.

His sacking means he is now entitled to a sum of £23,612.


Julian Smith, Andrea Leadsom and Theresa Villiers are all entitled to £16,876 each for losing their cabinet jobs.

They were fired as Northern Ireland secretary, business secretary and environment secretary, respectively.

Departing housing minister Esther McVey, universities minister Chris Skidmore and transport minister George Freeman are entitled to £7,920 each.

Ms McVey's departure means the Conservatives will appoint a tenth housing minister in their less than ten years in power.

Nusrat Ghani, who was sacked as a more junior minister at the Department for Transport, is entitled to £5,594.

The eight departing ministers' entitlements add up to £103,595.