A senior minister has said Boris Johnson did pay for the refurbishment of his official Downing Street flat out of his own pocket but was unable to say where he got the money.
International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said she had been assured the rules for ministers had been fully complied with and that the details would be declared publicly.
However, Labour called on the Electoral Commission to mount a full investigation after Mr Johnson’s former top adviser Dominic Cummings claimed he tried to get Tory donors secretly to fund the work.
READ MORE: Dominic Cummings hits back after Downing Street blames ex-aide for Dyson leak
Deputy leader Angela Rayner said there was a “real stench” around the Government and called on Mr Johnson to go to Parliament on Monday to explain what happened.
Dominic Cummings has launched an attack on the Prime Minister
Ms Truss – who is the first minister to speak publicly since Mr Cummings issued his incendiary claims on Friday – dismissed the allegations as “tittle tattle”.
“I have been assured that the rules have been fully complied with and I know that he has met the costs of the flat refurbishment,” she told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme.
“I absolutely believe and trust that the Prime Minister has done that.
“What people want to know is that in line with the rules the Prime Minister has met the cost of this refurbishment. That has happened. All the costs will be declared in line with the rules.
“That, as far as I am concerned, completely answers that question.”
Angela Rayner has said the Conservatives have "serious" questions to answer about the way contracts for vital health equipment had been handled during the early days of the pandemic, and who had benefitted.
She said: “There is serious questions now that the Conservatives need to answer around how they’ve dealt with their mates who have been fast-tracked through a VIP list to get contracts.”
Angela Rayner
On the Downing Street flat, she added: “The Electoral Commission should be looking into it absolutely and doing a full investigation, especially as you’ve got a former senior adviser to the Prime Minister suggesting that not only was it unethical but he believes it could be illegal as well.
READ MORE: Cummings claims PM wanted to call off lockdown leak after finger pointed at fiancee's best friend
“These are serious allegations and we also think the Prime Minister should come to the House of Commons on Monday and should declare the ministers’ register of interests, which is eight months in delay, we’ve not seen that. Why are they hiding the fact that ministers have to declare these donations and they’ve not done that?
“That’s serious and the list of the VIPs who got contracts who seem to be mates of Tories or Tory donors, this is a real stench around what Government is about.”
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