Boris Johnson ‘unwise’ over Downing Street flat refurbishment funding

Prime Minister Boris Johnson “unwisely” allowed the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat to go ahead without “more rigorous regard for how this would be funded”, his new adviser on ministerial standards has said.

In his first report on ministers’ interests, released on Friday after months of delay, Lord Geidt said there was a “significant failing” from officials in how “rigorous” they were at examining the idea of setting up a trust to fund renovations to Downing Street.

And he said Mr Johnson had not been aware that in lieu of any such trust being set up, the bill for the refurbishment had been paid by Tory peer and party donor Lord Brownlow.

Lord Geidt said “the Prime Minister – unwisely, in my view – allowed the refurbishment of the apartment at No 11 Downing Street to proceed without more rigorous regard for how this would be funded”.