London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Labour demands further probe into Boris Johnson's flat revamp

Labour demands further probe into Boris Johnson's flat revamp

Parliament's sleaze watchdog should investigate the funding of the prime minister's Downing Street flat refurbishment, Labour says.

Boris Johnson was last week cleared of misconduct and of breaking the ministerial code by his adviser on ministerial interests.

But Lord Geidt said he had "acted unwisely".

Labour says he might have broken the rules governing the conduct of MPs after failing to declare a donation.

Labour is keen to increase the pressure on Mr Johnson over the renovations to his flat as part of its wider charge of cronyism against the government, and has written to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, Kathryn Stone.

Last Friday, Lord Geidt - who was appointed by the PM in April as his ministerial standards adviser - said Tory donor Lord Brownlow had paid an invoice to cover some of the costs for the works, which were overseen by Mr Johnson's wife Carrie.

He accepted that Mr Johnson had not been aware how the bill had been paid but rebuked him for "unwisely" allowing the refurbishment to proceed "without more rigorous regard for how this would be funded".

At the time, Labour said it was "staggering" that Mr Johnson could "rack up" a bill "yet have no knowledge of how it was eventually paid".

Now, the party says Mr Johnson still has more questions to answer in his capacity as an MP, which falls under the remit of Ms Stone.

Contempt


In the letter to the commissioner, Labour's Deputy leader, Angela Rayner, noted Ms Stone had previously reprimanded Mr Johnson in 2019 for failing to register a share of a property within the required time frame, and warned any further breaches may warrant "more serious sanction".

But Ms Rayner said "far from learning the lessons of his previous transgressions, the prime minister has continued with his attitude of treating basic standards of integrity, openness and transparency with contempt, and behaving as though there is one rule for him and another for everyone else,".

She says the fact that Mr Johnson told Lord Geidt he became aware of the donations for the works on the flat in February this year but did not settle the invoices personally until 8 March suggests he is in breach of parliamentary rules that all MPs must follow.

The Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament states that all MPs must register financial interests, donations and gifts, and Mr Johnson, as prime minister, is not exempt from that.

Ms Rayner added: "I therefore write to request that you instigate a further investigation into the prime minister's failure to register this donation, using your powers as commissioner."

She also accused Mr Johnson of breaching the general principles on conduct in public life, including "selflessness", "integrity" and "leadership".

Followed advice


Ms Stone is already investigating whether Mr Johnson properly declared a £15,000 holiday on the Caribbean island of Mustique with his wife Carrie.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "Lord Geidt's independent report shows the prime minister acted in accordance with the ministerial code at all times and sets out the background to the intended establishment of a Downing Street trust.

"The report shows how, at all times, the prime minister followed the advice of officials and he has made a declaration in his list of ministerial interests, as advised by Lord Geidt.

"The House of Commons rules and Electoral Commission guidance are clear that support relating to ministerial activity should be declared through ministerial declarations and this has been done."

Next steps


The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has the power to refer a case to the Committee on Standards if she deems it is serious enough and the committee can, in principle, recommend suspension.

The sanction for less serious cases can require the MP to acknowledge and apologise for any breach.

Mr Johnson faces two other inquiries in to the flat refurbishment.

The Electoral Commission is conducting its own investigation in to whether the Conservative Party broke the rules on declaring donations over the Downing Street flat and has the power to issue a fine of up to £20,000.

Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, the UK's top civil servant, is also looking into the refurbishment, including whether donations were properly declared.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
×