Watchdog to probe Boris Johnson luxury renovation

Britain’s Electoral Commission has announced a formal probe into how PM Boris Johnson paid for a lavish makeover of his Downing Street flat.

Boris Johnson during prime minister's questions in the British House of Commons on Wednesday. Picture: AFP

Britain’s Electoral Commission on Wednesday announced a formal probe into how Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid for a lavish makeover of his Downing Street flat, seriously escalating a simmering scandal.

The commission, which regulates party and election finance, has the powers to demand repayment of questionable donations, levy fines, or ultimately refer investigations to the police for criminal prosecution.

“We are now satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to suspect an offence or offences may have occurred. We will continue this work as a formal investigation to establish whether this is the case,” the watchdog said.

Its probe significantly darkens the cloud hanging over the Conservative prime minister ahead of UK-wide local elections on May 6, the first polls to be held since the pandemic and since Brexit took full effect this year.

Minutes after the commission’s announcement, Mr Johnson again denied any wrongdoing during a bad-tempered exchange in parliament.

“I’ve conformed in full with the code of conduct and ministerial code,” he said, as he came under sustained opposition pressure to state who paid for the revamp, amid wider accusations of cronyism and favouritism.

Addressing main opposition Labour party leader Keir Starmer, he said: “He goes on and on about wallpaper when I’ve told him umpteen times now, I paid for it.”

Mr Johnson’s press aides have insisted he has paid himself for any refurbishment beyond an annual government allowance, and that Conservative party funds are not being used. They have not said whether party funds were used initially, amid reports a rich donor stumped up a £58,000 ($103,800) donation that was not reported to the Electoral Commission as required by law.

The investigation comes after a war of words erupted between Johnson and former top aide Dom­inic Cummings over the premier’s coronavirus policies last year and financial dealings.

Mr Cummings, who quit Downing Street in December under a cloud of acrimony, wrote on his personal blog on Friday that Mr Johnson had sought to use potentially illegal donations to renovate his publicly funded Downing Street accommodation, reportedly at a cost of up to £200,000.

Johnson, his fiancee Carrie Symonds and their baby son live in quarters above Number 11 Downing Street.

“The investigation will determine whether any transactions relating to works at 11 Downing Street fall within the regime regulated by the commission and whether such funding was reported as required,” an Electoral Commission spokesperson said.

Opposition parties have seized on the apartment makeover to accuse the prime minister of playing fast and loose with taxpayers’ money during the pandemic, when the government handed out many contracts with little or no oversight.

Criticism has mounted after it emerged this week that last year Mr Johnson instructed senior civil servants to look into setting up a charitable trust to maintain the Downing Street complex.

AFP