Pay me £1k to speak in Parliament Techies’ fury over Boris pal

THE pole-dancing former pal who sparked calls for Boris Johnson to face a misconduct probe once asked for £1,000 to speak in Parliament.

The Prime Minister has been rocked by claims that ex- model Jennifer Arcuri secured £126,000 in taxpayer cash for her tech business ventures through their friendship.

Sources now claim she had agreed months in advance to speak for free at a 2017 cyber-debate for young professionals in Westminster.

Skills

But she then allegedly threatened to pull out at the 11th hour if tech professionals did not pay her £1,000.

An event source confirmed Ms Arcuri never spoke, adding: “With days to go she decided to demand cash. Everybody was furious.”

Ms Arcuri’s Hacker House firm got a £ 100,000 cyber skills grant i ntended f or UK- operating businesses in January – even though she had relocated to California last year. Digital minister Matt Warman told MPS this week that £53,000 of the grant yet to be paid would be frozen until a review is completed.

Ms Arcuri’s other firm, Innotech, got £26,000 of public funds while Mr Johnson was Mayor – and she went on three overseas trade missions. The PM has refused to comment on their relationship but denies impropriety, claiming attacks on him are “politically motivated”.

Ms Arcuri, 34, has said: “Any grants received b y my companies and any trade mission I joined were purely in respect of my role as a legitimate businesswoman.”

But Greater London Authority monitoring officer Emma Strain referred the PM to the Independent Office for Police Conduct on Friday.

The body will decide whether Mr Johnson should face a criminal probe for misconduct in public office. In a letter to him, Ms Strain said the referral related to his time as mayor from 2008 to 2016.

She added: “It has been brought to my attention that you maintained a friendship with Ms Jennifer Arcuri and as a result of that friendship allowed Ms Arcuri to participate in trade missions and receive sponsorship monies in circumstances when she and her companies could not have expected otherwise to receive those benefits.”

Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers said the move was politically motivated. But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn last night said Ms Strain made an “independent assessment”. He added: “There are serious questions to answer.”

Mr Johnson said things were “done in the proper way” and he will comply with an order to explain his links to Ms Arcuri. Ms Arcuri was contacted for comment last night.