Thanasis Gavos, London
Britain’s ruling Conservative Party has violated election law by handling the cost of renovating Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s apartment on Downing Street.
Electoral Commission Director Louise Edwards, who conducted the survey, said the party did not declare or record a donation from a Conservative supporter used to cover the cost of the renovation.
The Electoral Commission therefore imposed a fine of 17. 17,800 on the party, an amount close to the maximum of .000 20,000 that can be imposed.
For months, Boris Johnson and his government ministers refused to confirm or deny that the initial cost of the costly renovation was covered by the donation of multimillionaire Lord Brownlow through the Huntswood Associates company. Mr Johnson has repeatedly said that the entire cost of the renovation was eventually borne by him.
The Electoral Commission found a donation of more than 67 67,000 from Lord Brownlow in October 2020, of which 52 52,801 was used to renovate the 11th apartment on Downing Street.
The case has been cited by the opposition in the past as another example of “corruption” at the core of Mr Johnson’s government.
It came to light through the blog of former British Prime Minister Dominique Cummings, ousted in November 2020. Mr Cummings revealed that Mr Johnson had told him he was planning to cover donation expenses with donations. Party, with Mr Cummings telling him that would be “immoral, foolish and possibly illegal”.
An internal investigation by an adviser to the Prime Minister, Lord Gade, had ruled months ago that Boris Johnson had not violated the Ministerial Code of Conduct in the case of financing the renovation of the apartment.
The inquiry, however, pointed out that the British Prime Minister did not act prudently as he allowed the renovation work to proceed without thoroughly checking how the expenses were covered.
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