Instead Johnson and his girlfriend Carrie Symonds, mother of his last child, during the lockdown last year started some very expensive renovations, using quality materials and high-profile interior designers. According to rumors, a new sofa cost £ 9,500, wallpaper hundreds of pounds per square meter and so on. The total cost has not been revealed, but according to some it exceeded £ 200,000.
Reliable sources claim that Lord Brownlow, a wealthy supporter of the party, would have donated at least 58,000 pounds to the Conservative party, which then turned over the funds to Johnson to make it appear legitimate. The opposition Labor Party has been calling for an investigation for days into what it called “a clear cover-up attempt”.
The risk of private financing
It was also confirmed that Alistair Darling, the former Labor Chancellor of the Exchequer, had been invited to preside over a “trust” to raise funds for the renovation of the apartment but had refused, warning of the risk of resorting to private financiers who would then asked for favors and preferential treatment.
Johnson and his government enjoy a high rate of popularity thanks to the success of the mass vaccination program that has allowed the gradual reopening of the economy. Over half of the population has received a first dose, and one in four citizens have already received two. However, the scandal risks damaging the prime minister’s reputation at a crucial political moment. In a week, elections will be held in England for the renewal of municipal and regional councils and the choice of the “metro mayors” of large cities, including London.
In Scotland and Wales, instead, voting for the renewal of the Parliament is the first electoral test since December 2019, when Johnson had triumphed by winning an absolute majority in Westminster. The vote will give an indication of the mood of citizens after Brexit and after the pandemic and three lockdowns.