Who paid for the No 11 flat refurbishment?
After weeks of speculation surrounding the redecoration of the flat the prime minister shares with his fiancee and their son, the government said last week that, beyond a £30,000 annual allowance, extra costs had been “met by the prime minister personally”. However, leaked emails suggest a Tory donor agreed to pay. Undeclared donations or loans to the prime minister should be declared to the Electoral Commission, and there may be tax implications if money is gifted. This has not been addressed by No 10.
Who was the second lockdown leaker?
Downing Street has accused Dominic Cummings of leaking details of the second lockdown in England. But he claimed the “chatty rat” leak pointed to Henry Newman, a former adviser to Michael Gove, who is now in Downing Street. No 10 sources have defended Newman, and Johnson has denied Cummings’s suggestion that he proposed calling off the leak inquiry to protect Newman, a friend of his fiancee, Carrie Symonds.
Who was behind the other leaks?
A series of other damaging leaks has caused a stream of negative stories. The role of financier Lex Greensill and Cameron’s lobbying for him, and Johnson’s texts with Prince Mohammed bin Salman and James Dyson all came from leaks. Figures close to Francis Maude, Johnson and even a “cell” of Labour-supporting civil servants have all been blamed.
What will Cummings do next?
Cummings has said he will surrender all official information he has to parliament should it begin a Covid inquiry, and give as much time as necessary to a joint select committee inquiry next month. If he was once reticent about internal mistakes, the gloves will now be off.
Is it all a distraction?
When Downing Street sources named Cummings, some thought it a “dead cat” strategy - designed to distract from more damaging events. It did lead to an immediate focus on the Johnson-Cummings soap opera rather than sleaze. Ultimately, however, it will increase the list of questions Johnson is facing about his behaviour in office.
