The Conservative Party has been fined nearly £18,000 over Boris Johnson’s controversial flat refurbishment.
On another torrid day for the government, it was announced that the Tories must pay up £17,800 for failing to follow the rules on reporting donations.
Johnson’s wife Carrie, who gave birth to a daughter today, reportedly chose £850-a-roll gold wallpaper by top designer Lulu Lytle for the flat last year.
Now an investigation by the Electoral Commission found laws on the reporting of donations “were not followed” over the pad’s luxury refurb.
The investigation found they failed to fully report a donation of £67,801.72 from Huntswood Associates Limited in October 2020, including £52,801.72 connected to the costs of refurbishment to 11 Downing Street – the PM’s home.
Louise Edwards, director of regulation at the Electoral Commission, said: “Our investigation into the Conservative Party found that the laws around the reporting and recording of donations were not followed.
“We know that voters have concerns about the transparency of funding of political parties.
“Reporting requirements are in place so that the public can see where money is coming from, inaccurate reporting risks undermining trust in the system.
“The party’s decisions and actions reflected serious failings in its compliance systems.
“As a large and well-resourced political party that employs compliance and finance experts, and that has substantial sums of money going through its accounts, the Conservative Party should have sufficiently robust systems in place to meet its legal reporting requirements.”
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “It is one rule for them, and one rule for the rest of us, and Boris Johnson is at the heart of it.
“He has taken the British public for fools.”
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