This is the story of a politician incapable of living within his means but talented beyond measure at finding people to help him live beyond them. It’s the story of how that dependence on others sullied him and them. All of which leads to one simple question: just who is funding Boris Johnson?

This is the first episode of a four part series investigating Boris' finances. To listen to episodes two and three early, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts where you will also get ad-free listening and exclusive access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows. Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. Join our newsroom as a member, for access to all of our audio and written journalism and invitations to exclusive events. Click here to join for just £5 a month.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.