Call for probe over Johnson’s luxury Caribbean holiday villa
A LABOUR MP has written to complain about the provision of a luxury holiday villa for Boris Johnson.
Mystery has surrounded the villa in Mustique, where the Prime Minister holidayed with his partner Carrie Symonds, after the accommodation was declared on Johnson’s register of interests.
The register stated that he had accepted “accommodation for a private holiday for my partner and me, value £15,000”, citing businessman David Ross as the provider.
However the businessman, who co-founded Carphone Warehouse, denied paying for the villa and instead said he helped to source available accommodation for the PM.
Yesterday government sources suggested that the situation was all above board.
It is understood that Ross has a time share on the island but was unable to lend it to the Prime Minister as it was being used by other guests.
Instead, it is believed that he found another time-shared villa which was available, which the Johnson used instead.
Now Labour has formally written to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards calling for an investigation into the trip and who paid for the £15,000 accommodation.
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett MP wrote to the watchdog yesterday asking that she look into the details of the trip, which took place between December 26 and January 5, 2020.
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 MP said the public should know whether the PM “knowingly make a false entry into the register”.
He added: “Transparency is crucial to ensuring the public have confidence that elected members of this House have not been unduly influenced by any donations or gifts that they may receive.
“For this reason, I request that you to investigate whether the Prime Minister has followed all transparency requirements when registering the donation.”
A Downing Street source said much of what was being alleged by Trickett had been made “out of date” by the updated statement by Mr Ross’ spokesman.
A Downing Street source said much of what was being alleged by Trickett was “out of date”, after a spokesman for Mr Ross clarified the position further yesterday afternoon.
He said: “Following media reports, I would like to provide further explanation of the benefit in kind Mr Ross provided to Mr Johnson
“Mr Ross facilitated accommodation for Mr Johnson on Mustique valued at £15,000.
“Therefore this is a benefit in kind from Mr Ross to Mr Johnson and Mr Johnson’s declaration to the House of Commons is correct.”
Number 10 insisted the details of the getaway were properly declared, with it stated in the register that the trip was a “benefit in kind” from Mr Ross.
“All transparency requirements have been followed, as set out in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said.
The trip provided Mr
Johnson with a break after the election campaign, which produced a Conservative landslide for the first time since the 1980s.
Mr Johnson faced criticism at the time for failing to cut his festive break short when international tensions rose after the US killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani on January 3.
Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry accused the Prime Minister of “sunning himself” while leaving Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill to chair three emergency Cobra meetings about the assassination.
A spokeswoman for the Standards Commissioner said a decision by MPS in 2018 to allow colleagues being investigated to remain anonymous meant the office could not confirm whether an investigation would be opened into the PM.
She said: “The commissioner can neither confirm nor deny receipt of a complaint, nor confirm nor deny whether there is to be an investigation.
“The commissioner’s office can confirm that, were there to be an investigation, the outcome would be published at the end.”