Wallpapergate: Rules Boris may have breached

THE Prime Minister has faced weeks of controversy over the refurbishment of his flat, consistently denying any wrongdoing. Here we look at the rules that may have been broken.

POTENTIAL BREACH OF MINISTERIAL CODE

It has been reported that Conservative Central Office solicited a £58,000 donation from Tory donor Lord Brownlow to cover the cost of the Downing Street refurbishment via a trust fund which, at the time, had not yet been set up.

This could potentially be in breach of the ministerial code as getting a Tory donor to pay for the refurbishment may be seen as a potential conflict of interest for the PM.

The code – which Boris Johnson oversees – states that ministers must ‘ scrupulously avoid any danger of an actual or perceived conflict of interest between their ministerial position and their private financial interests’.

It could be argued that using a political donation to pay for private matters could influence policy decisions.

POTENTIAL BREACH OF ELECTORAL COMMISSION RULES

If it emerges that the Conservative

Party solicited the donation for the flat but planned to record it with the Electoral Commission as a political donation, that could also fall foul of the rules.

Donations are meant to be for party matters such as fighting elections, not funding decorating. In addition, all donations must be made on a quarterly basis to the commission.

Leaked emails show Lord Brownlow offered to make a £58,000 donation last October, but it appears that this was not registered with the commission in January as part of the Tories’ quarterly declaration.

WHAT IF THE TORIES SAY THE MONEY WAS A LOAN, NOT A DONATION?

Downing Street insists the £58,000 has now been paid out of Mr Johnson’s own pocket.

But it is now believed No 10 is preparing to say the money was actually a loan to the PM from the Tory party after it emerged yesterday that Conservative HQ initially settled the bill for the work with the Cabinet Office last year.

Critics are likely to say that even if claimed as a loan, it is a donation under another guise.