UK watchdog probes financing of PM's home makeover

Britain's Electoral Commission on Wednesday said it had launched a formal investigation into how Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid for an expensive makeover of his Downing Street home.

Johnson has faced repeated questions over the funding of the luxurious refurbishment, for which the wallpaper reportedly cost 840 pounds (€965, $1,160) per roll.

Questions on use of political donations

 The commission is seeking to establish whether funds used to pay for the renovation should have been declared under legislation on political donations.

"We are now satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an offense or offenses may have occurred. We will therefore continue this work as a formal investigation to establish whether this is the case," the commission said.

The elections watchdog has the powers to demand the repayment of questionable donations, levy fines, or even refer investigations to the police.

It said it had arrived at its decision after communicating with Johnson's Conservative party over the past month.

While ministers have said Johnson has paid for the refurbishment, it remains unclear whether he did so only after questions were asked. The upfront costs are believed to have been paid by the party itself.

Johnson's former adviser Dominic Cummings last Friday said Johnson had wanted donors to pay for the renovation secretly.

Cummings, who left Downing Street last year in an acrimonious split, said he had told the prime minister such plans were "unethical, foolish, possibly illegal."

PM denies 'bodies' allegation

Meanwhile on Wednesday, Johnson denied in parliament that he had said in October that he would rather bodies piled "high in their thousands" than order a third coronavirus lockdown. 

The prime minister was asked by opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer whether he made the comments. Johnson, who ultimately did order a new lockdown in January, told parliament "No," and demanded that Starmer substantiate the allegations.

The claim was carried by the Daily Mail newspaper on Monday, with various other news outlets confirming the quotes from multiple unnamed sources. 

rc/nm (AFP, Reuters)