John Lewis pokes fun at PM over Downing Street refurb

A John Lewis store in London - Credit: PA

Department store John Lewis appeared to mock Boris Johnson as he faced a probe into the controversial refurbishment of his Downing Street flat.

The lavish update of the Downing Street decor was reportedly inspired by a desire to get rid of the “John Lewis furniture nightmare” left over by Theresa May.

As the Electoral Commission launched an investigation into how the new look was funded, John Lewis suggested it had something for “almost” everyone.

The description of the flat – attributed to a visitor – was included in a Tatler article on Johnson’s fiancee Carrie Symonds.

On Twitter, John Lewis said: “Time for an interiors refresh? We pride our Home Design Service on having something for *almost* everyone.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman said “unlike the prime minister he doesn’t turn his nose up to John Lewis thinking it’s too downmarket” and “wouldn’t spend £840 per roll on wallpaper”.

The Electoral Commission said there were “reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence or offences may have occurred” during the financing of the revamp of the prime minister’s flat above No 11.

The taxpayer funds a £30,000 annual allowance, but the redecoration – reportedly involving the company Soane, co-founded by designer Lulu Lytle – have stretched beyond that.

Some reports suggest the upgrades hit the £200,000 mark, while a leaked email suggested Tory peer Lord Brownlow was making a £58,000 donation to the Conservatives “to cover the payments the party has already made on behalf of the soon-to-be-formed ‘Downing Street Trust’”.

Johnson’s former adviser Dominic Cummings said he told Johnson “his plans to have donors secretly pay for the renovation were unethical, foolish, possibly illegal”.