SLEAZE WATCHDOG PROBES HIS LUXURY BREAK

BORIS Johnson is being investigated by Parliament’s sleaze watchdog over his New Year’s holiday in Mustique, when he is thought to have got engaged to his girlfriend Carrie Symonds.

The Prime Minister had claimed the £15,000 cost of his accommodation on the luxury Caribbean island had been a gift from Carphone Warehouse founder David Ross.

But the multimillionaire businessman last month revealed he did not own the villa and had not paid for its use. Mr Ross later clarified that he had ‘facilitated’ the stay. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone, launched the probe on Wednesday, and has requested information from both the PM and Mr Ross.

It follows calls from Labour for an inquiry. In a letter to the commissioner last month, Labour’s Cabinet Office spokesman Jon Trickett said: ‘The Code of Conduct requires members to provide the name of the person or organisation that actually funded a donation. The evidence now suggests it was not David Ross. The entry made by the Prime Minister therefore appears to be incorrect.’

The trip gave Mr Johnson a break after his election win. But he faced criticism for failing to cut it short after the US killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani on January 3.

The Commissioner will investigate whether Mr Johnson has broken the MPs’ code of conduct, and forward findings to the Committee on Standards which would, if appropriate, recommend a penalty.

Downing Street declined to comment.