Boris Johnson made an apologies to his standards advisor after he failed to reveal key messages in an investigation into the Downing Street flat refurbishment.
Lord Geidt was said to be furious after an investigation by the Electoral Commission revealed that the PM had WhatsApped a Tory donor asking for funding.
Although Mr Johnson had been cleared by the peer of violating the ministerial codes, the peer reexamined the matter after receiving the report from the commission.
The PM has blamed having to change his phone after his number was made public in a security bungle for the failure to flag the message to Lord Brownlow asking for more works to be authorised.
It is believed that standards adviser has concluded that new information does no fundamentally change his conclusion but was highly critical of any recent oversight.
Boris Johnson (pictured today), made an ‘humble, sincere’ apology for his failure to reveal key messages during the Downing Street flat refurb probe
Lord Geidt was said to be furious after an investigation by the Electoral Commission revealed that the PM had WhatsApped a Tory donor asking for funding.
Lulu Lytle decorated the PM’s grace and favour flat with her help (file photo does not include the actual flat).
It is anticipated that the correspondence between Lord Geidt, Mr Johnson will be published soon.
While Mr Johnson had been cleared of any breach of code by his peer, he was re-examined in the light of an investigation by the Electoral Commission.
The PM had assured Lord Geidt, the independent adviser on ministerial interests, that he did not know who was paying for the £112,549 refurbishment until this year.
However, the electoral monitor discovered evidence Mr Johnson used WhatsApp to ask Lord Brownlow for permission months prior.
After the revelations Lord Geidt wrote Mr Johnson to ask him for clarification.
They exchanged ‘three-to four letters,’ it is believed.
Instead of sanction, Lord Geidt is believed to have agreed on reforming the system to monitor ministerial interest to provide more resources to the Cabinet Office secretariat.
Last month, a senior official stated that Geidt made it clear that the current situation was a mess. However, the conclusion that the PM didn’t deceive or break the ministerial codes is the most important.
Mr Johnson is said to have apologised for the handling of the initial inquiry into the loan of £58,000 from Lord Brownlow.