Boris Johnson did pay for the renovations to his Downing Street flat “from his own pocket”, a Tory Government ministers has insisted.
International Trade Secretary Liz Truss fielded a series of embarrassing questions over whether Boris Johnson was given a loan from a Tory donor to fund a lavish refurbishment as allegations of sleaze swirling around Downing Street.
Truss told the BBC “everything has been fully declared” in line with the rules and dismissed claims of side donations as “tittle tattle”.
Truss said the Prime Minister had met the cost of doing up his official flat personally but repeatedly failed to answer questions over where the money came from.
Labour has called on the Electoral Commission to mount a full probe and has tabled an urgent question in the Commons to haul a minister before Parliament on Monday to answer questions about the growing row.
Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said there was a “real stench” around the government as Truss did not answer repeated questions on whether a Tory party donor initially provided the money for the PM’s flat.
Overshadowing the row the PM’s former chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, claimed Johnson had a “possibly illegal” plan for donors to pay the refurbishment.
Cummings made a series of explosive allegations against his former boss, accusing Johnson of plotting an “unethical, foolish, possibly illegal” plan to get Tory donors to secretly fund the work on his Downing Street flat.
In an increasingly bitter revenge attack for his sacking Cummings has denied being the source of a series of damaging leaks, which included the Prime Minister’s personal texts to businessman Sir James Dyson.
He also denied leaking details of plans for a second lockdown in November and pointed the finger instead at Henry Newman, another Downing Street aide close to the PM’s partner Carrie Symonds who was is arch-enemy of Cummings.
Truss said: “This is tittle tattle that is being promoted and I don’t think it really addresses the key issues that people in Britain care about.”
But Labour said questions remained as details over how the work was paid for has yet to be made public.
Angela Rayner said: “These are serious allegations and we also think the Prime Minister should come to the House of Commons on Monday and should declare the ministers’ register of interests, which is eight months in delay, we’ve not seen that.”
“Why are they hiding the fact that ministers have to declare these donations and they’ve not done that?
“That’s serious and the list of the VIPs who got contracts who seem to be mates of Tories or Tory donors, this is a real stench around what Government is about.”
