Friday, 24 May 2024

Jennifer Arcuri: London Assembly receives no response from Boris Johnson over conflict of interest allegations

Boris Johnson has missed a deadline to explain his relationship with an American model turned technology entrepreneur amid conflict of interest allegations, the London Assembly has said.

Its oversight committee has launched an investigation into Mr Johnson’s links with Ms Arcuri when he was mayor of the capital from 2008-16.

It gave the now-prime minister two weeks to provide more details about their relationship, including “social, personal and professional during his period of office as mayor of London” – a deadline the assembly said passed at 6pm.

The committee was also seeking “an explanation of how that alleged personal relationship was disclosed and taken into account in any and all dealings with the GLA and other parts of the GLA family”.

Downing Street has said it will respond to the request by the end of Tuesday.

Ms Arcuri has insisted she “never, ever” received any favouritism from Mr Johnson when he was London mayor, but refused to say whether they had an affair.

She has said it is “really categorically no-one’s business what private life we had, or didn’t have”.

Multiple inquiries have been launched after it emerged Ms Arcuri was given more than £100,000 in public money and privileged access to overseas trade missions led by Mr Johnson during his time as London mayor.

Ms Arcuri has said any grants received by her companies and any trade missions she joined were “purely in respect of my role as a legitimate businesswoman”.

The prime minister was referred to the police complaints body last month to assess whether he should face a criminal investigation over his association with her.

Mr Johnson has previously told Sky News that “everything was done with complete propriety” when asked about the allegations.

Len Duvall AM, chair of the London Assembly oversight committee, said: “Missing the deadline of a polite request to fully cooperate is unhelpful and this already serious situation has now become grave.

“The allegations of potential misuse of taxpayers’ money are no laughing matter.

“We will be taking this further.”

He added that a “range of options” were available to the committee, which will be meeting next week to decide its next steps.

“You can be assured that the London Assembly will investigate this matter with absolute commitment,” Mr Duvall said.

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