No 10 insists Tory funds not being used on refurbishment

Prime minister Boris Johnson and his partner Carrie Symonds, stand in Downing Street, London - Credit: PA

Tory party funds are not being used for the refurbishment of Downing Street, Boris Johnson’s press secretary has said.

The Daily Mail reported that Conservative Party funds met a large part of the bill, which is said to be in the region of £200,000.

But the prime minister’s press secretary Allegra Stratton told reporters: “Conservative Party funds are not being used to pay for any refurbishment of the Downing Street estate.”

The Conservative HQ “supports the leader of the Tory party in their political activities but not in the way it is being accused of”.

Asked whether the party had encouraged donors to pay for the refurbishment, Stratton said “all of those donations” would be declared through the Electoral Commission, the House of Commons register of members’ interests or in ministerial transparency declarations.

“At every twist and turn of this there will be records and reports,” she said.

Details of the Downing Street works will be included in the Cabinet Office annual report, she promised.