London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Labour calls for probe into Johnson's £15,000 holiday

Labour has called for an investigation into who funded Boris Johnson's Caribbean holiday over the New Year.

The MPs' register of interests stated the accommodation had a "value" of £15,000 and was covered by Carphone Warehouse co-founder David Ross.

Mr Ross initially said he had not paid for the holiday, but in a clarification insisted the register "is correct" and he had "facilitated accommodation".

Downing Street said the trip had been properly registered.

The prime minister took the holiday to Mustique, a private island that is part of St Vincent and the Grenadines, with girlfriend Carrie Symonds between Boxing Day 2019 and 5 January 2020.

Labour's Jon Trickett has now asked the parliamentary commissioner for standards to investigate who paid for it.

In a letter to the watchdog, the shadow Cabinet Office minister said: "The code of conduct requires members to provide the name of the person or organisation that actually funded a donation."

He said that the "evidence suggests it was not David Ross" who funded the donation and that the entry made by the prime minister in the MPs' register of interests "appears to be incorrect".

Mr Trickett said a number of questions needed "urgently answering", including "the true source of the £15,000 donation" and "did the PM knowingly make a false entry into the register".

"Transparency is crucial to ensuring that the public have confidence that elected Members of this House have not been unduly influence by any donations or gifts that they may receive," he added.

Mr Johnson's entry in the register of interests says Mr Ross donated accommodation "for a private holiday for my partner and me, value £15,000".

But a spokesman for Mr Ross told the Daily Mail: "Boris wanted some help to find somewhere in Mustique, David called the company who run all the villas and somebody had dropped out.

"So Boris got the use of a villa that was worth £15,000, but David Ross did not pay any monies whatsoever for this."

A later statement from the spokesman added: "Mr Ross facilitated accommodation for Mr Johnson on Mustique valued at £15,000.

"Therefore this is a benefit in kind from Mr Ross to Mr Johnson, and Mr Johnson's declaration to the House of Commons is correct."

A Downing Street spokesperson said: "All transparency requirements have been followed, as set out in the Register of Members' Financial Interests".

A spokeswoman for the standards commissioner said the office could not confirm whether an investigation had been opened into the prime minister.

She explained this was due to a decision by MPs in 2018 to allow colleagues being investigated to remain anonymous.

Mr Ross was one of Mr Johnson's aides in City Hall and was appointed to the Olympics organising committee.

But he resigned from the roles, and his company, over a share scandal in 2008.

It emerged Mr Ross had used millions of pounds' worth of Carphone Warehouse shares as collateral against personal loans without informing the company's other directors - a potential breach of City rules at the time.

Mr Ross has been a long-standing donor to the Conservative Party, pledging £250,000 in the last election campaign.

Mr Johnson faced criticism over his holiday for not returning sooner, after the US killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani raised tensions in the Middle East.

In April 2019 Mr Johnson was rebuked by the parliamentary commissioner for standards for failing to register a share of a Somerset property within 28 days of acquiring it.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×