London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 02, 2025

Senior Tories urge PM to come clean on funding of Downing Street refurb

Senior Tories urge PM to come clean on funding of Downing Street refurb

Johnson faces growing disquiet after allegations he was loaned £58,000 from party funds while being seen to personally foot the bill

Boris Johnson is being urged by senior Tories to come clean about the funding of his flat refurbishment as it emerged that a former Labour chancellor refused to join a trust overseeing Downing Street upkeep out of concerns it could lead to a cash-for-access scandal.

The prime minister faced growing disquiet from within his own party on Tuesday over allegations that he was loaned £58,000 from Conservative party funds while being seen to personally foot the bill for renovations of his Downing Street residence.

Reports have alleged that the refurbishment was initially paid for by a donation from Tory peer and donor Lord Brownlow to Conservative campaign headquarters (CCHQ), which then loaned the money to Johnson.

No 10 has insisted that “Conservative party funds are not being used to pay for the Downing Street flat” but have not denied the existence of a donation or loan arrangement. Labour has demanded a formal investigation into whether the government was trying to orchestrate a “cover-up”.

It comes as Johnson faced pressure on a number of fronts, including claims that he said he would rather see “bodies pile high” than order a third coronavirus lockdown last year.

On Tuesday the Guardian confirmed that Alistair Darling turned down an offer to be a member of a new trust to refurbish No 10 and No 11 Downing Street, citing concerns about the potential for donors to expect political favours.

After being approached through the office of Labour leader Keir Starmer in July, Darling is said to have expressed concern about the plans – first due to a belief that the state has a duty to maintain the iconic buildings and second because of what he saw as a significant risk of cash for access.

The head of the civil service, Simon Case, confirmed on Monday that the idea of a trust had been looked into but would not have worked. “A charitable trust can’t cover private areas of Downing Street, so that’s clear that that can’t be done,” he told MPs.

The full cost of the refurbishment works has not been confirmed but is thought to have gone well above the £30,000 cap available for premiers to claim taxpayers’ money. No date has been set yet for when the Cabinet Office will publish its annual accounts or the register of ministers’ interests, which is expected to shed light on the funding.

The ministerial code stipulates that ministers “must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise”. The Electoral Commission is considering opening a formal investigation into whether all donations were properly declared by the Conservative party.

On Friday Johnson’s former chief of staff Dominic Cummings revealed that he had been deeply opposed to soliciting donations for the flat’s refurbishment. Cummings claimed he warned Johnson that the plans were “unethical, foolish, possibly illegal and almost certainly broke the rules on proper disclosure of political donations if conducted in the way he intended”.

On Tuesday a cabinet minister said that, while they detected little public pressure on the issue, giving Johnson some room for manoeuvre, there was a feeling that clarity would now help. “My view has always been that start with the truth, that’s where you’ll end up anyway,” they urged.

Some Tory MPs railed privately at their party and raised questions about co-chair Amanda Milling, who said less than a month ago that “Conservative party funds are not being used to pay for the Downing Street flat”.

The same claim was made by the prime minister’s former press secretary Allegra Stratton about the residence, where Johnson lives with his fiancee, Carrie Symonds, and their son.

Tory MPs said there could be an innocent answer to how Johnson footed the costs but that a lack of proof was making things worse. “There’s a reasonable set of questions that need to be answered – our position at the moment isn’t ideal,” one said.

Concern is also rising that while the issue may not have had significant cut-through with the public yet, it may in the days ahead, including in the run-up to elections on 6 May.

A senior MP said: “Broadly I do think the ‘he said/she said’ stuff just turns everybody off politics full stop, and generally the mood is positive. But after a while the general atmosphere – rather than the specific details – around trust start to seep out. I sometimes wonder who is actually working for the PM and who is working for their own little tribe. It will need a long-term fix, not a quick one.”

Caroline Slocock, former private secretary to Margaret Thatcher who now runs the Civil Exchange thinktank, told the Guardian she was “concerned” about any donors “paying for work which the prime minister should be paying for”, adding: “We do appear to have a very un-transparent situation here, which is a problem.”

Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, has demanded that Case investigates Stratton’s denials last month that Tory funds were used to help pay for the renovations. Case revealed on Monday that he has opened an inquiry into the matter, and Rayner said it should include whether Stratton had broken the civil service code on acting with honesty and integrity.

He was urged by Rayner to look into whether Stratton “knowingly misled journalists and the public, or was misled herself by senior members of the government who seem intent on a cover-up”.

No 10 said: “Any costs of wider refurbishment this year beyond those provided for by the annual allowance have been met by the prime minister personally. Conservative party funds are not being used for this.”

A Conservative party spokesperson added: “All reportable donations to the Conservative party are correctly declared to the Electoral Commission, published by them and comply fully with the law. Gifts and benefits received in a ministerial capacity are, and will continue to be, declared in Government transparency returns.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
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
×