In recent days, the 56-year-old chief executive has been accused of trying to pay for the renovation of his official London apartment with undeclared money from party supporters; to grant public contracts, and to give favorable treatment to businessmen and related politicians, all of which he denies.
Criticism of his management comes a few days after regional elections in Scotland and municipal elections take place on May 6 in parts of England, where the Conservative Party aspires to consolidate its majority.
THE REFORM OF THE OFFICIAL APARTMENT
Speaking to Sky News, the Minister of International Trade, Liz Truss, maintained today that she has received “guarantees” that Johnson “paid out of his own pocket” for the renovation of the apartment where he lives with Carrie Symonds and their son, and ” he fully trusts “that this was so.
However, he did not clarify whether the head of government previously tried to obtain capital from “Tories” donors, as reported by the press and also revealed on Friday by the former chief adviser to the prime minister, Dominic Cummings.
Cummings, who was fired in November for infighting, alleged on his blog that Johnson had an “unethical, stupid and possibly illegal” plan for supporters to “secretly pay” for construction work on his apartment at 11 Downing Street. than that of his official office, at number 10).
“The Daily Mail” reports today that the Chief Executive was forced to finally pay 58,000 pounds (about 66,000 euros) when his plan for affiliates to make “donations” through a “Downing Street Foundation” chaired by the Conservative Lord David Brownlow, who was never constituted.
On the other hand, Minister Truss called “gossip” Cummings’ allegation that Johnson tried to stop an internal investigation into who the Government had leaked to the press that would impose (in November) a second lockdown due to the pandemic, upon realizing that that the culprit could be a friend of his girlfriend, Councilor Henry Newman.
The revelations of Johnson’s former confidant add to a previous controversy over cronyism and alleged conflict of interest in the Executive, after the media published that the “premier” and several ministers were able to favor businessmen such as pro-Brexit James Dyson and politicians like former “Tory” prime minister David Cameron and Saudi prince Mohamed bin Salman.
LABORISTS WANT TO SEE THE NUMBERS
Speaking to the BBC, Labor Party Vice Leader Angela Rayner called for Johnson to appear before the House of Commons on Monday to answer “serious questions” about the possible receipt of undeclared capital and the use of public funds during the pandemic.
“The issues seen these days have undermined the institution of the Government,” said Rayner, who demanded that the Executive publish, “eight months late”, the list of donations received by the conservatives.
The Commons leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP, majority in Scotland), Ian Blackford, seconded the request: “The longer Boris Johnson remains in hiding and unaccountable, the more unbearable the stench of corruption that surrounds him will become. and his government, “he said.
THE ‘TORIES’ LEAD THE SURVEYS
A poll by the Opinium firm published today by “The Observer” indicates that the Conservatives lead Labor in voting intention in the face of the next elections, with 44% compared to 33%, although the poll was made between the April 21 and 23, before Cummings’ explosive confessions.
The same poll indicates that 37% of those interviewed believe that Johnson is corrupt, compared to 16% who think the same of the Labor leader, Keir Starmer.
Certainly, Starmer, who is fighting to re-float Labor after his fall in the 2019 generals, will keep up the pressure on his rival this week to maximize his options before an election in which a new Scottish Parliament and councilors are elected in 143 English municipalities , in addition to 13 mayors, including that of London.
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