Boris Johnson faced questions last night over claims he failed to declare potential conflicts of interest over his links to an American businesswoman.
The PM was under pressure to reveal details about model-turned-tech entrepreneur Jennifer Arcuri who gained access to three trade missions he led while mayor of London.
Reports yesterday said that she was given £126,000 in public funds in the form of three separate grants.
One of these was from the organisation London & Partners, for which Johnson was then responsible, which handed her firm £10,000 sponsorship money for an event in 2013. Ms Arcuri described the PM as “one of her best friends”, according to the Sunday Times, and was at one point a “regular visitor” to her London flat.
Jeremy Corbyn criticised the lack of coverage of the “alleged abuse of power and misuse of public funds” exposed by the paper.
The Labour leader said: “This is about the man who is the Prime Minister of our country.
“Things have to change. Labour will put people first, before privilege.”
London’s City Hall and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport – which provided the bulk of the funding – said yesterday they would examine the allegations. A DCMS spokeswoman said: “Funding for this scheme was awarded through open and fair competition.
“We regularly monitor grant initiatives and treat any allegations of impropriety with the utmost seriousness.”
A spokeswoman for Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “Sadiq has asked City Hall officials to look into what processes were followed during that time.”
Ms Arcuri, now 34, was quoted as saying: “Any grants received by my companies and any trade mission I joined were purely in respect of my role as a legitimate businesswoman.”
She didn’t comment on the nature of their relationship. Downing Street declined to comment.
