Boris Johnson learned that a Tory donor had funded the refurbishment of the Number 11 flat from media reports in late February, it is claimed

Lord Geidt says Boris Johnson was not aware David Brownlow had settled bill - said to be £200,000 - directly with the supplier on Oct 22
Lord Geidt mildly censures Johnson for not having a more ‘rigorous regard’ for how the flat would be funded. He says that this was unwise

He says that the prime minister ‘might reasonably expect’ to be curious about the arrangements
Matt Hancock committed a ‘technical’ breach of the ministerial code by failing to declare that a family firm -which he has a 20% stake in - had won an NHS contract

Lord Geidt says in mitigation that Hancock was unaware of contract and that he acted with ‘integrity throughout’
Boris Johnson acted ‘unwisely’ by failing to take more of an interest in who was funding refurb of his Downing Street flat, Lord Geidt finds

But he castigates officials - who were informed that a Tory donor had paid for it - for not telling the PM, saying he was ‘ill-served’
Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary, acknowledges the ‘shortcomings’ of officials in failing to tell Boris Johnson that his flat had been paid for by a Tory donor

As Geidt acknowledges, however, these officials were ‘managing their own very difficult decision questions’
All of which leads to a question:

Is it really incumbent on officials to tell the Prime Minister that the cost of refurbishing his flat was met by a Tory donor?

There’s an argument that Lord Geidt is placing a higher burden of probity on officials than he is on the PM himself

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More from @Steven_Swinford

23 Apr
BREAKING

Dominic Cummings accuses Henry Newman, senior No 10 aide, of being the 'chatty rat' who leaked details of the second lockdown

He says Simon Case said 'all evidence definitely leads to Henry Newman and others in that office'

dominiccummings.com
Cummings claims PM was 'very upset' by suggestion that Henry Newman could be behind leak

'If Newman is confirmed as the leaker then I will have to fire him, and this will cause me very serious problems with Carrie as they're best friends'

He says PM suggesting closing inquiry
Cummings says Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary, authorised the PM's official spokesman to tell the media that neither he nor Lee Cain, the director of comms, were the 'lockdown leakers'

He says PM himself confirmed *in writing* that neither he nor Cain were the leakers
Read 5 tweets
22 Apr
BREAKING:

Boris Johnson believes Dominic Cummings is behind a series of damaging leaks including disclosure of his text messages

No 10 source claims Cummings is 'engaged in systematic leaking' and 'bitter about what happened since he's left'
No 10 source on Cummings:

'Dominic is engaged in systematic leaking. We are very disappointed.

'The PM is saddened about what Dom is doing. It's undermining the govt and party.

'It might be that Dom feels bitter about what's happened since he's left - but it's a great shame'
Allies of Cummings deny he was behind Dyson text message leaks

Dyson's company said to have sent copies of texts to around 30 officials in Treasury & No 10

They're likely to be interviewed as part of leak inquiry

thetimes.co.uk/article/domini…
Read 4 tweets
22 Apr
How David Cameron lobbied Jon Cunliffe, Deputy Gov of the Bank of England, on behalf of Greensill:

On March 5 at 9.44, Cameron emailed Cunliffe directly:

'Do you have a moment for a quick word?'

Cunliffe at 10:55

'Of course, Can I get my office to arrange a call?'
At 5.27pm, Cameron emails James Benford, then private secretary to Governor, to arrange a meeting between Lex Greensill and officials at Bank of England

'GC is now world's largest provider of Supply Chain finance & has mandate with UK govt. We would be keen to step in and help'
James Benford, governer's private secretary, emails Cameroni back at 18.23 suggesting that 'Lex/ his team speak to Tom Mutton and Rhyr Phillips who respectively head up our Fintech Hub and our Sterling markets division'
Read 6 tweets
13 Apr
Breaking

Bill Crothers, govt's former head of procurement, became an adviser to Greensill Capital while he was a civil servant

The Cabinet Office gave him permission to take on a 'part-time advisory role' in Sept 2015

He didn't leave civil service until Nov '15
Here's Crothers himself on the extraordinary combination of roles as civil servant & adviser to Greensill

'It was seen as a way of me transitioning back into the private sector and was
supported by the Cabinet Office leadership

'The advisory role was not seen as contentious'
Crothers argued that he did not need to apply to Acoba to clear his position at Greensill because the role was 'captured under the conflicts of interest policy' for the Cabinet Office

So massive questions for the Cabinet Office about who authorised this extraordinary arrangement
Read 8 tweets
20 Mar
Times long read:

When Dominic Cummings appears before MPs on May 26, his evidence will focus on 5 critical days in September

A deep dive into how Cummings, Case, Whitty & Vallance tried - and ultimately failed - to convince PM to implement a lockdown

thetimes.co.uk/article/domini…
On Sept 18, Cummings, Case, Vallance and Whitty gathered in Cabinet room to push for a circuit breaker of at least 2 weeks

All were convinced of need for one - except PM

'Dom said we can't let second wave crash, we can't repeat mistakes of first lockdown. But Boris said no'
Johnson was 'actively hostile' to lockdown - he worried about economy and reaction on the Tory benches

He demanded alternative views

On Sunday 20th Cummings & Vallance arranged Zoom meeting with Heneghan, Gupta & Tegnell

John Edmunds represented Sage

PM still unconvinced
Read 6 tweets
20 Feb
Times's long read on a week of carnage in No 10

* Lord Frost told PM he was going only to be swayed by big Brexit job

* Oliver Lewis left, Ben Gascoigne almost quit & others are preparing to go

* Dan Rosenfield accused of cutting out political advisers

thetimes.co.uk/article/carrie…
Lord Frost told PM his mind was made up & he was leaving

Johnson wouldn't have it & handed him key role in overseeing relations with EU

One aide noted that Lord Frost has managed to negotiate himself a pay cut - from £120,000 as a special adviser to £100,000 as a minister
Political ally of PM said it's like Henry VIII's court

'Wolsey [Cummings] has had chop & it all depends on who Anne Boleyn favours now'

Symonds allies infuriated by depiction as Lady Macbeth but accept she has influence

'If she wasn't engaged to Boris she'd be working for him'
Read 5 tweets

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