The former prime minister, who dropped out of the race to replace Liz Truss last week and is still the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, will deliver the keynote address at the International Symposium on Blockchain Advances on December 2 . Blockchain technology is used to provide a secure way to make and record transactions, most commonly for the cryptocurrency bitcoin. Dick Cheney, the former US vice president, will also address the conference. The conference website states that it “aims to guide the first step in the transition to the digital economy by provoking meaningful questions and discussions that will allow all of us, manufacturers and consumers, to cut through the blockchain hype and understand a realistic view of the emerging trend and needs, and provide a technical blueprint for innovative solutions’. In September Johnson was paid £130,000 to give a speech to the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers in Colorado, during which he joked about sharing French President Emmanuel Macron’s “fancy” wine with Angela Merkel. On Tuesday, Johnson told Sky News he would be “very happy” to go to the Cop27 climate summit after being “invited by the Egyptians”. Asked if Rishi Sunak should also attend, he said the new prime minister would have “a huge amount to do”, adding: “I happen to have a special interest”. Two government sources told the Guardian that Sunak was now planning to attend the conference after being accused of showing a “failure of leadership”. But No 10 said the decision was still “under consideration”. Johnson told Sky that it had become “unfashionable” to talk about Cop26, which he hosted in Glasgow last year. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Asked if he felt more appreciated on the world stage, Johnson added: “I have an absolutely passionate belief that the war in Ukraine, Putin’s act of aggression is something that we should not accept. I think I can continue to campaign for Ukraine and that’s what I will do.” Speaking to Sky from the Imperial War Museum, Johnson also said Vladimir Putin would be “crazy” to use a nuclear weapon on Ukraine, arguing the move would “immediately cause Russia to resign from the club of civilized nations”.
