Parliamentary Watchdog To Investigate Johnsons Holiday In The Caribbean | News from the United Kingdom

Parliaments Let Go Watch Dog Investigates Boris Johnson And The Mystery Who Funded His Recent Luxury Vacation In The Caribbean, The Observer has learned.

Inviting further questions on the probity of the prime ministers, the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner decided last week to continue an official inquiry into Johnson amid unanswered questions about the identity of the donor who loaned him property on the island of Mustique during the new year. This is the first time that a Prime Minister in office has been the subject of an investigation by the Commissioner, who is responsible for regulating the conduct and convenience of Members of Parliament.

This development means that three high-level investigations are under way into allegations concerning the conduct of Johnsons, including his relationship with the American businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri. A source with intimate knowledge of the most recent survey, but who requested anonymity, said: These are serious issues that need to be properly investigated.

The decision was made by Commissioner Kathryn Stone last Wednesday after asking Johnson and David Ross, the former vice president of Carphone Warehouse, for information. Johnson claimed that the cost of the $ 15,000 villa he stayed in between the day after Christmas 2019 and January 5, 2020 was paid by Ross, a Conservative party donor who owns property on the island.

But Johnsons' statement in the MP's register of interests was later contradicted by Ross, who denied paying for the vacation and said he was not the owner of the villa where Johnson and his partner, Carrie Symonds, had stayed. Ross said he only facilitated Mr. Johnson's accommodation.

The Commissioners' investigation follows an official complaint by shadow cabinet minister Jon Trickett. On February 13, a letter from Trickett to Stone urged him to investigate because the MP's code of conduct requires members to provide the name of the person or organization that actually funded a donation.

If the Stones investigation reveals a serious violation of the rules or identifies a larger problem, the Commissioner will report to the Standards Committee, which will review the evidence and, if necessary, recommend a sanction.

Trickett pointed out that this would not be the first meeting of the premiers with the committee, which last April chastised him for failing to report expenses properly. Johnson was forced to apologize to Stone and the standards committee after finding that he had adopted an overly laid-back demeanor and demeanor. She cautioned: if we conclude in the future that Mr Johnson has committed new violations of the registration rules, we will consider this as an issue that may require a more severe sanction.

Len Duvall, Labor Chairman of the London Assembly Supervisory Committee, who opened an investigation into how Arcuri got coveted seats in mayors' trade missions despite not meeting the criteria, said the latest recent investigation raised potential questions about what Johnson should hide. Only Boris can answer us. It should have been simple to clear up; that shouldn't take an investigation. He should just explain who he benefited from, said Duvall.

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat member of the same committee, said: The Prime Minister clearly has a form in terms of what he chooses to declare, which goes against any practice in public life. Elected officials must go beyond the letter of the law to be transparent.

In the latest MPP register, Johnson listed the holiday as a benefit in kind offered by Mr. David Ross. Ross said he did not cover the cost of the Johnsons 'stay but that because he had organized the trip, the Prime Ministers' statement in the House of Commons is correct.

News of latest Johnson investigation joins ongoing investigation by the Independent Office for the Conduct of Police, which has been collecting evidence since September whether he should investigate Johnson for possible criminal misconduct regarding his friendship with Arcuri.

Among the high-level politicians who have already incurred the wrath of the watchdog is former Trade Secretary Peter Mandelson, who was forced to resign from Cabinet in 1998 after Commissioner Elizabeth Filkin found out that he had violated the Commons code of conduct on 373,000 undeclared people. home loan.

Downing Street insisted that the trip was properly recorded and that all transparency requirements were met, as noted in the members' financial interests register.

The office of the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner was contacted but declined to comment. He previously stated that he would not answer questions on the matter following a decision by MPs in 2018 to allow colleagues under investigation to remain anonymous.