Starmer demands PM reveal who initially paid for Johnson’s flat refurbishment

The watchdog said there are “reasonable grounds” to suspect an offence may have occurred, to which Downing Street said Johnson would be “happy” to assist the commission with its inquiries into who initially paid for the work.

The Times reports, quoting a government source, that Downing Street is concerned “there could be a paper trail” at the Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ).

Investigators from the Electoral Commission can demand documents and information, and could potentially seek a statutory interview with the prime minister as part of the process.

Labour leader Sir Keir told ITV’s Peston: “He’s got the cabinet secretary doing an investigation, got the Electoral Commission doing an investigation.

“Those investigations could be over in five minutes if the prime minister just answered the question, who paid for it in the first place?”

Challenged by the Labour leader over the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions, Johnson said he “personally” paid for the renovations, but refused to answer whether he received an initial loan from the Tory party.

Questions have been mounting over the flat since former aide Dominic Cummings accused Johnson of wanting donors to “secretly pay” for the renovations to the apartment in a “possibly illegal” move.

The Electoral Commission said the investigation will “determine whether any transactions relating” to the renovations “fall within the regime regulated by the commission and whether such funding was reported as required”.

The Conservative Party said it would “continue to work constructively” with the commission.

“We believe all reportable donations have been transparently and correctly declared and published by the Electoral Commission,” a spokesman said.

Prime ministers get a budget of up to £30,000 per year to renovate their Downing Street residency, but newspaper reports have suggested Johnson has spent up to £200,000.

Former private secretary to the Queen Lord Geidt has been appointed as the new independent adviser on ministers’ interests, and immediately launched his own investigation into the flat.

The appointment of the new adviser paves the way for the publication of the latest register of ministerial interests, which could contain details of any donations to fund the flat.

However, the prime minister’s official spokesman said Johnson will remain the “ultimate arbiter” of whether the ministerial code has been broken, even if the investigation centres on himself.