Downing Street made an official referral about a festival idea by a donor who was funding Boris Johnson ’s flat revamp.
The Prime Minister told Tory donor Lord Brownlow he was “on” a ‘Great Exhibition 2.0’ plan - in the same text as he begged him cash to refurbish his grace-and-favour pad.
Lord Brownlow then got a meeting two months later with Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden to discuss the idea.
Today No10 admitted the two events were not a coincidence - and Downing Street officially referred the idea to the Culture Department after it was raised with the PM.
Boris Johnson’s deputy spokesman said: “As is quite usual, when any suggestions such as this are put forward it’s right that it’s passed on to the relevant department to take forward.
“And as you’re aware, Oliver Dowden met with Lord Brownlow and the Royal Albert Hall on the joint proposal.”
Boris Johnson is being reported to Parliament's standards watchdog by Labour over the so-called 'wallpaper for access' row.
Labour's Steve Reed told the BBC: "Lord Brownlow appears to have had access to the prime minister because he was paying for the flat renovation.
“If that’s the case it amounts to corruption."
The PM's deputy spokesman said the request about a Great Exhibition was “passed over through the usual processes” and “will have been passed from No10 to DCMS”.
The spokesman said: “It is standard practice that when an idea is put to ministers, that it’s referred to the lead department to look into and take a view on.
“That happened and a view was taken not to take it any further forward.”
Lord Brownlow footed a £112,000 bill for the luxury revamp of the PM's Downing Street flat, which Mr Johnson later repaid after a media storm.
The peer was originally going to set up a blind trust to manage the money, but this idea fell through due to legal concerns.
Asked if anyone could get meetings with the Secretary of State, or just people funding the PM’s flat refurbishment, the spokesman said: “Ministers have a range of ideas and proposals put to them by various people.
“Through MPs, through other parties. And I think it’s right and proper that it’s passed onto the relevant department to take forward.
“And in this instance it was decided not to take this any further.”
Downing Street yesterday published a humiliating “lost” WhatsApp the PM sent Lord Brownlow, begging for the cash to revamp his grace-and-favour flat.
The text exchange shows the PM asked the donor for "approvals", moaning the flat above 11 Downing Street was a "bit of a tip” - despite the fact it had a new kitchen in the last decade.
Lord Brownlow replied promising to get on with the job, adding: "It’s only me and I know where the £ will come from".
After previously saying he didn’t know the source of the funds until three months later, Boris Johnson apologised and claimed he didn’t hand over the messages because they were on his old phone.
Lord Geidt, the independent advisor on ministers’ interests, slammed multiple failures but ultimately cleared the PM of breaching the Ministerial Code.
However, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “It is simply impossible to read these exchanges and conclude that the Prime Minister has not breached these aspects of the Code.
"Once again, by attempting to hide the truth, Boris Johnson undermines his own office.
“This matters because it matters who has influence on our government in a democracy. The British public can't WhatsApp a wealthy donor to open their wallets on request, and the least they deserve is transparency about who’s bankrolling their Prime Minister.”
Business minister Paul Scully said Mr Johnson had engaged in "appropriate communication" with Lord Brownlow and that "nothing untoward" occurred.
Mr Scully told Times Radio: "Ministers get proposals all the time and what rightly happened was that this got pushed on to the Culture, Media and Sport Department (DCMS) where it sits.
"Lord Brownlow made his own approaches and it wouldn't have just gone to the Prime Minister, but the important thing is it's not gone ahead... so there's nothing untoward that's happening out of, you know, a few lines in a WhatsApp."
