Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PAINTED INTO A CORNER » FACING GROWING PRESSURE
» Johnson gives himself power.. to clear himself MPS’ outrage at Tory flat renovation scandal
BORIS Johnson faced outrage after giving himself the power to clear himself if an inquiry finds his revamp of the Downing Street flat breached the ministerial code.
But he was left reeling when the Electoral Commission announced its own inquiry. It said there were “reasonable grounds” to suspect the Conservative Party broke the law by failing to declare a donation to pay for the £58,000 refurbishment, overseen by the PM’S fiancee Carrie Symonds.
The Government investigation will be carried out by the Queen’s former private secretary, Lord Christopher Geidt, who has been appointed the new sleaze buster.
But Mr Johnson will still be able to overrule the findings of any inquiries undertaken by his new independent adviser on ministerial interests – including into his own conduct.
Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office Rachel Reeves said: “In our country, the police don’t require the permission of a thief to investigate a burglary. The Prime Minister can’t be judge and jury on his ministers’ – or indeed his own – behaviour.
TWIST
“The Prime Minister shouldn’t be able to block investigations into his ministers or himself when breaking the ministerial code.”
Lord Geidt’s appointment paves the way for publication of the latest Register of Interests, which could shed new light on how the redecoration of the flat was financed.
The Prime Minister has insisted he paid the bill out of his own pocket – but refused to confirm who initially covered the cost of the makeover.
The PM was said to have suggested setting up a Downing Street trust to cover the costs, but it was never formed after officials ruled it could not be used for private residences.
According to leaked emails, Conservative Party donor Lord Brownlow told the party’s chairman Ben Elliot in October he had given the party the same sum to cover its costs.
Mr Johnson is now believed to have repaid the party, but it is unclear what happened to Lord Brownlow’s donation or whether it was paid back.
Mr Johnson has been under growing pressure to declare the funding after his former aide Dominic Cummings claimed there was a “secret” plan for donors to cover the cost in a “possibly illegal” move.
At a fiery PMQS yesterday, a furious
Mr Johnson insisted he had not broken any laws, but repeatedly dodged questions over whether the Tory Party had initially paid for the flat refurbishment. Labour leader
Keir Starmer branded the PM “Major Sleaze” for his role in the “cash for curtains” row.
He said: “Somebody is not telling the truth here.”
A fuming Mr Johnson also flatly denied saying he would rather see “bodies pile high” in their thousands due to Covid-19 rather than impose another lockdown.
He raged: “I didn’t say those words. What I do believe is that lockdown is miserable, miserable thing.” Bereaved families were sickened after Mr Johnson made a private visit to the National Covid Memorial Wall, ignoring their invitation for him to meet grieving families there in person.
Mr Johnson had been spotted making a solo private visit to the memorial on the Thames Embankment on Tuesday night.
Matt Fowler, co-founder of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, who drew the first of more than 150,000 hearts on the vast memorial wall, said it was “deeply hurtful” to learn the Prime Minister had made the visit “under the cover of darkness” to dodge the grieving families.
Opposition MPS branded the PM a “serial liar” over both the flat refurbishment and his “bodies” remark, sending him into a red-faced rant that Labour described as his “Kevin Keegan moment”, a reference to thena
Newcastle United manager’s explosion at Manchester United just before his team imploded in 1996.
Mr Johnson’s outbursts came less than an hour after the Electoral Commission took him by surprise by announcing its inquiry.
It said in a statement: “We are now satisfied there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence or offences may have occurred.
“We will therefore continue this work as a formal investigation to establish whether this is the case.
“The investigation will determine whether any transactions relating to the works at 11 Downing Street fall within the regime regulated by the Commission and whether such funding was reported as
required.” The watchdog confirmed the investigation was focusing on the Conservative Party more broadly, rather than Boris Johnson alone. No10 said the Prime Minister would be “happy to assist” the probe.
The Conservative Party said it would “continue to work constructively” with the Commission, which has the power to issue fines of up to £20,000, but can also refer investigations to the police.
A Tory party spokesman said: “We believe all reportable donations have been transparently and correctly declared and published by the Electoral Commission.”
But party insiders revealed that Tory chiefs were furious to have been dragged into the “cash for curtains”
row. They are understood to have agreed to pay the £58,000 bill to the Cabinet Office in July, after previously suggesting Mr Johnson should cover his own costs.
In a makeover, inspired by designer Lulu Lytle, Mr Johnson and Ms Symonds are said to have chosen £800a-roll gold wallpaper, a £9,800 Baby Bear sofa and a £3,000 Lily Drum table as they did not like the previous PM Theresa May’s John Lewis furnishings.
There was a £30,000 cap on taxpayer funds for the work, so the PM had to find another £58,000 to cover the cost.
Sarah Vine, wife of Cabinet minister Michael Gove, prompted more anger yesterday when she said the PM “can’t be expected to live in a skip”. In response, John Lewis tweeted: “Time for an interiors refresh? We pride our Home Design Service on having something for *almost* everyone”.
Police don’t need the permission of a thief to investigate a burglary RACHEL REEVES SHADOW CABINET OFFICE MINISTER