Boris Johnson strives to investigate ‘grape money’
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Boris Johnson said on Thursday he had been keen to comply with the Electoral Commission’s inquiry into whether there were any breaches of the law in helping to renovate his house on Downing Street, while Labor wants parliament to investigate its conduct.
Speaking on the way to school in London, the UK Prime Minister said he had every confidence in the council to investigate the alleged donations to repair his house.
But Mr. Johnson reiterated his claim that people are more interested in fighting the war on coronavirus than in the amount of questions that have arisen over the “sleaze” that the opposition Labor Party says is surrounding Johnson and the Conservatives.
“We will follow whatever he wants and I don’t think there is anything we can see, or complain about,” he said. “I think what people are really looking forward to is not such a thing, but what we’re doing to help fight the epidemic.”
His comments came as Margaret Hodge, Labor’s chief retiree, urged Parliamentary Commissioner Kathryn Stone to investigate whether Johnson had violated MP’s rules regarding donations made for the renovation.
In a letter sent Thursday afternoon, Hodge called on Stone to investigate the renovation and see if Johnson had made the right donations.
“Boris Johnson’s lawlessness will not go unnoticed. “Any irregularities, any kind of clothing or violation of the law should be investigated,” he said he wrote Thursday.
The stone could send serious cases to the legislative committee, which has the power to order the temporary suspension of members of parliament.
The case follows an announcement from the Electoral Commission, which said on Wednesday it was formally investigating how the money for the project had arrived and whether it had been properly announced.
A issued an email Last week he said Tory’s colleague Lord David Brownlow had donated a $ 58,000 donation to renovate Johnson’s house, according to the Daily Mail.
The commission said it had decided to launch a full-scale investigation “after finding that there were reasonable grounds to suspect that the offense or wrongdoing may have occurred”, when contacted by the Conservative Party in March.
This study is one of three questions that examine how money was spent on restructuring. But unlike the other two probes controlled by Downing Street – one is a new independent consultant for service needs. Lord Christopher Geidt and the other is Secretary to the Minister Simon Case – the agency’s investigation is independent, according to experts.
He noted that the committee’s legal authority – which allows for the submission of documents, letters and emails, as well as careful interrogation – distinguished this.
In contrast, after Johnson’s refusal to volunteer to publish all of Geidt’s findings, Labor said the new technological role in the ministry was fruitless because it lacked real power.
As the election commissioner and political finance officer, the commission has the power to fine and, if it believes it is guilty, report the matter to the police.
“The Electoral Commission is investigating cases of violation and is doing so legally, as a supervisor with the power to impose sanctions,” said David Howarth, a professor at Cambridge University and a former member of the committee.
“This is in stark contrast to the investigation by two people who could have been fired by Boris Johnson and he is not guilty at all and has no legal authority.”
The length of the investigation will be determined by the nature of the co-workers under investigation and the complexity of the case, added Howarth. He also said the agency is known for its “prudent practices”.
Lord John Horam, a carefree colleague and former member of the council, said independence was essential to his ability to carry out his duties. Directors are appointed by a party group Members are approved by Parliament.
“It is an independent and accountable parliament – it is up to the Speaker of Parliament,” he said.
Some Conservative party leaders are taking part in the conference, according to a recent survey.
In 2017, the party was stupid £ 70,000 by the committee that spent the 2015 elections and other early elections but the police who investigated the cases were fell.
Recently, the organizers frustrated many Tories for their contribution to fundraising for the Vote Leave project, which included well-known Conservatives on the technical side, including Johnson.
The commission paid the club £ 61,000 in 2018 but later had to relinquish the $ 20,000 fine it offered to Darren Grimes, who heads another party. The investigation also led to a police investigation, which was fell in May last year.
Writing in Telegraph A few months later, Conservative co-chair Amanda Milling called for an independent body to be reformed, saying it was “impossible, without external pressures or scrutiny of its decisions”.
This was stated by Parliament Speaker Jacob Rees-Mogg who told Parliament that the commission “needs a major overhaul”.
One Conservative party expert said the commission was “ineffective”, adding: “The Commission that should not investigate anything is the Electoral Commission and will be dissolved soon.”
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