Boris Johnson ‘told he will not face new inquiry into Downing Street flat refurbishment’
PM set to evade probe which could potentially have led to his suspension from Commons
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson is reportedly set to escape a further investigation into the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat.
Parliamentary standards commissioner Kathryn Stone, who oversees the code of conduct and rules for MPs, is said to have decided not to open another inquiry into the controversy following two previous probes by the Electoral Commission and Christopher Geidt, the independent adviser on ministers’ interests.
No 10 was informed of her decision this week, according to the Sunday Telegraph.
Senior Conservatives were fearful an investigation from Ms Stone could have led the prime minister being suspended from Commons if he had been found guilty of breaching the parliamentary code of conduct.
Mr Johnson this week faced new sleaze allegations after WhatsApp messages were released which appeared to show him expressing support of a project proposed by the Tory donor who funded his luxury flat redecoration.
He was also strongly criticised by Lord Geidt for failing to reveal the messages to his inquiry, an omission the ethics adviser described as “extraordinary”.
The PM’s aides are said to have insisted the refurb, approved for funding by Tory donor Lord Brownlow, was not a matter for Ms Stone as it did not relate to his role as a minister.
But shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said Labour urged the parliamentary standards commissioner Kathryn Stone to investigate the WhatsApp messages, arguing that there were questions about potential “cash for access” for the PM to answer.
Mr Reed said the text messages “matter immensely” as they showed Lord Brownlow “appears to have access to the prime minister because he was paying for the flat renovations” at Downing Street.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “If that is the case, that is corruption.
“And what we’re seeing here is a case of, potentially, cash for access where Lord Brownlow was given access to ministers to try and influence them over decisions of spending taxpayers’ money – that is why this matters so immensely.
“Those very cosy text messages show there was a quid pro quo in operation between the prime minister and Lord Brownlow, and we need to get to the absolute bottom of this.”
Lord Geidt also faces calls to reopen his inquiry, with Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the Labour Party, saying his decision to close the case “raises a number of serious concerns and questions”.
The ethics adviser’s probe concluded Mr Johnson had not breached the ministerial code, but criticised the PM for failing to “assemble all relevant material” for his inquiry.
The prime minister had blamed a new mobile phone number for the lapse and was forced to issue an apology.
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