The Prime Minister’s former mistress Jennifer Arcuri has claimed that he had allegedly overruled advice of his staff in 2013 to promote her business and make her “happy”.
The American entrepreneur wrote handwritten diary entries that have now been published by The Observer.
According to one entry, Boris Johnson – the then Mayor of London – had asked Ms Arcuri, who was about 27 at the time: “How can I be the thrust – the throttle – your mere footstep as you make your career? Tell me: how I can help you?”
The newspaper reported that the claims could reopen the possibility of Mr Johnson facing a potential criminal investigation into misconduct allegations.
In 2019, it had been revealed that Ms Arcuri’s ethical hacking business Hacker House received a £100,000 government business grant that was later deemed “appropriate” after a government investigation.
Responding to the latest revelations, a government spokesperson said that Mr Johnson “followed all the legal requirements” when mayor.
It came amid more than a week of constant sleaze allegations made against a number of Tory MPs.
The latest Opinium poll for the Observer shows Labour now holding a one-point lead over the Tories for the first time since January this year.
Yesterday, a ComRes Savanta poll for The Daily Mail showed Labour with a six-point lead over the Tories.
Army head worried about Eastern Europe border conflict
The Chief of Defence staff has admitted he is worried about the situation on the border between Belarus and Poland after Britain sent in armed forces to “show unity” with Warsaw.
General Sir Nick Carter said migrants were being pushed by Minsk “on to European Union borders” to try and destabilise the region, in a scenario he described as being straight out of the “Russian playbook”.
A large number of migrants, many from the Middle East, are in a makeshift camp on the Belarusian side of the border, with Polish authorities daily reporting new attempts by the migrants to cross the divide.
Sir Nick, asked on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show whether he was worried that the situation could quickly escalate into “something really serious”, replied: “Yes, I think I am.
“I think this is a classic case of the sort of hybrid playbook where you link disinformation to destabilisation and the idea of pushing migrants on to the European Union’s borders is a classic example of that sort of thing.”
It comes as Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urged Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to intervene in the “shameful manufactured migrant crisis” unfolding in eastern Europe.
Reporting by PA
PM to hold press conference on Cop26 today
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hold a press conference at Downing Street on the final outcome of the UN Cop26 climate summit at 5pm today, No 10 has confirmed.
He will be joined at the briefing by summit president Alok Sharma.
It comes after the international event was heavily criticised for producing a “watered down” agreement on how to limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
Labour accused Mr Johnson of “undermining” Mr Sharma by failing to back him up with ambitious UK commitments at Cop26.
Adam Forrest has the full story here
Rayner wants to discuss use of language with PM
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has called for a meeting with PM Boris Johnson over use of language.
She told BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show: “I have asked Boris Johnson to meet with me because I did lay some serious allegations, because of his past comments I have said about them being homophobic, racist and misogynist, and I have asked for him to meet with me to discuss that because I actually think all of us have a responsibility around our language.
“I have apologised for using that language (Tory “scum”), I absolutely stand by that apology, but I do think that others including the Prime Minister should apologise for the language that he’s used in the past which has led to public discourse as well.”
Party leaders hold poppy wreaths alongside former PMs
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and PM Boris Johnson at the Cenotaph for the Remembrance Day event to remember those who lost their lives in world wars.
Behind the party leaders stood former PMs David Cameron, Gordon Brown, and Tony Blair. Also present were Theresa May and Sir John Major.
On a signed card attached to Mr Johnson’s poppy wreath that he laid at the foot of the Cenotaph, he wrote: “We will always remember them.”
Sir Keir wrote on the card on his poppy wreath: “For those who sacrificed their lives for our country and freedom. With eternal gratitude, we will never forget.”
Tory corruption ‘not same’ as Starmer doing legal work
Angela Rayner insists that corruption in government is “not the same” as Sir Keir Starmer QC doing some legal work in his office when he first became an MP.
Sir Keir was paid almost £26,000 for work carried out while he was an MP but before he became Labour leader in 2020.
Deputy Labour leader Ms Rayner was asked on BBC One’s The Andrew Marr show about Sir Keir having advised the Government of Gibraltar.
She said: “I do not accept the premise that what (Sir) Geoffrey Cox was doing, advising a tax haven which is described by the Government as corrupt and using his office to do that, in any way, shape or form the same as Keir Starmer doing some legal work when he was first an MP, that is not the same.”
Ms Rayner added: “We’ve said that we’d set up a commission for integrity and ethics to make sure that it’s fit for purpose so that we’re always working in the interests of the British public.
“We’ve said that we’d ban second jobs but there will be some areas like where we’ve got an A&E doctor that’s practising at the moment, so that they can continue to do that because they need that for their professional practice.”
Two minutes’ silence on Remembrance Day
Heads of state are observing two minutes’ silence at the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on Whitehall.
Johnson breaks rules and allows others to, says Rayner
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said PM Boris Johnson “does not play by the rules”.
She was asked on BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show if Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer using his Commons office for Zoom calls with the public was inside the rules.
Ms Rayner she said: “This Prime Minister has allowed corruption and sleaze to enter our politics.
“£3.5 billion has been given in contracts to Tory donors and Tory friends, and a cost of £9 million of donorship to the Conservative Party, this has to be cleaned up.”
When asked about Sir Keir earning £100,000 in legal fees since becoming an MP, she said as part of her response: “The British public value the fairness and playing by the rules.
“Boris Johnson does not play by the rules, has broke(n) the rules on numerous occasions and allowed his ministers to, this has undermined our democracy and he needs to clean up the act.”
Boris leaves Downing Street for Remembrance Day event
Commons leader did not declare ‘taxable benefits’ – report
Jacob Rees-Mogg has been found to have not declared £6 million of cheap personal loans from his Cayman Islands-linked company.
The Mail on Sunday is reporting that he may be the first Cabinet minister that may have breached parliamentary rules on external interests.
The House of Commons leader had led the government’s aborted attempt to soften parliamentary rules – which then saw embattled Owen Paterson quit as a Tory MP after he was found in breach of lobbying regulations.
Mr Rees-Mogg has reportedly borrowed up to £2.94m a year in director’s loans from his UK-based property firm Saliston Ltd between 2018 and 2020.
Although it does not explicitly cover director’s loans, the code of conduct requires directors to declare “taxable expenses, allowances and benefits”.
The government classes the loans to be taxable benefits as they enable borrowing large sums of money at very low interest rates.
Mr Rees-Mogg told the Mail on Sunday that as the loans were not earnings, he was not required to declare them to Parliament and he had not broken any rules. He said the 2018 loan was mainly used to buy and refurbish his £5.6m house near Parliament.
Queen not attending Remembrance Day event
The Queen will not be joining other heads of state for a Remembrance Day service today because she has sprained her back.
Buckingham Palace said she was “disappointed” to miss the event that will be attended by political leaders and the Royal Family.
The statement added: “As in previous years, a wreath will be laid on Her Majesty’s behalf by The Prince of Wales.
“His Royal Highness, along with the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra will be present at the Cenotaph today as planned.”
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