New blow for Boris

British PM faces misconduct claims over affair with US model

BORIS Johnson has been hit by new misconduct claims over allegations he had an affair with a US model and gave her favourable treatment while he was mayor of London.

The British Prime Minister was referred to the police complaints body on Friday to assess whether he should face a criminal investigation over his links with businesswoman and ex-model Jennifer Arcuri.

Ms Arcuri reportedly confided to friends she and Mr Johnson had been engaged in an affair during his time in City Hall, the Sunday Times reported. The claims come after the Greater London Authority (GLA) said its monitoring officer had recorded a “conduct matter” against Mr Johnson, who was mayor from 2008-16, over allegations Ms Arcuri received favourable treatment.

The Sunday Times reported that Ms Arcuri was given $230,000 in public money and privileged access to three foreign trade missions led by Mr Johnson while he was mayor.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is now considering whether to investigate Mr Johnson for the offence of misconduct in public office.

The GLA statement was denounced by Downing St as a “nakedly political put-up job” on the eve of the Tory Party conference.

Mr Johnson has denied any wrongdoing in relation to his links with Ms Arcuri. But American journalist David Enrich said he had been working on an article on Ms Arcuri’s business partner for The Wall

Street Journal in 2013 when he interviewed her and spoke to a number of people in her close circle. “Two friends from her business class said they had been told by Arcuri that she was sleeping with Boris. They told me that before and after that story ran,” he said.

The latest allegations are the latest in a string of infidelity stories involving Mr Johnson which plagued his 25year marriage to second wife Marina Wheeler. She began divorce proceedings last year.