Boris Johnson had dinner in lockdown with peer funding flat refit, files suggest

"David Brownlow, who provided 58,000 to cover some of the cost of the renovations, which included 2,260 worth of gold wallpaper, joined the then prime minister in the small dining room at No 10 on Friday 6 November 2020. Just 24 hours earlier, tough lockdown restrictions banning people from any social meetings indoors, had been introduced to help control the spread of the virus."

"In WhatsApp exchanges later that month, Johnson messaged Lord Brownlow to complain that parts of his No 11 flat looked a bit of a tip, asking him for approvals so that his interior decorator Lulu Lytle could get on with it. His then ethics adviser, Christopher Geidt, later found that Johnson had not broken the ministerial code over the payments for the Downing Street flat refurbishment but criticised him for acting unwisely."

"Johnson's apparent meeting with Brownlow after lockdown restrictions were imposed is one of several potential further lockdown breaches by the former prime minister revealed in leaked files seen by the Guardian. They raise further questions about Johnson's integrity during his turbulent three years in office. A log of Johnson's meeting with Brownlow is contained in a cache of files from his private office seen by the Guardian. The leak was obtained by Distributed Denial of Secrets, a US non-profit that archives data leaks."

Boris Johnson hosted Tory peer David Brownlow for dinner at No 10 on 6 November 2020, one day after the second national coronavirus lockdown began. Brownlow contributed 58,000 towards Downing Street flat renovations, including 2,260 of gold wallpaper. The dinner occurred despite lockdown rules banning indoor social gatherings. WhatsApp messages show Johnson asking Brownlow for approvals so interior decorator Lulu Lytle could work on the No 11 flat. Ethics adviser Christopher Geidt found no ministerial code breach over the payments but criticised Johnson's judgment. Files from Johnson's private office were obtained by Distributed Denial of Secrets.

Read at www.theguardian.com