Failure to disclose the information enabled Boris Johnson to escape criticism for reorganization
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Boris Johnson would not have been allowed to break the rules regarding the renovation of his Downing Street home if investigators were aware of his exchange with the Tory supplier.
The UK Prime Minister has “humbly and sincerely” apologized to Lord Christopher Geidt, Whitehall’s independent adviser on public affairs, after admitting that he had failed to disclose WhatsApp messages with Conservative party sponsor Lord David Brownlow in an investigation last year.
In a series of three letters published by the attorney general’s office Thursday, Geidt, who has been investigating Johnson for a £ 58,000 donation to Brownlow to repair the house at 11 Downing Street, expressed his displeasure that it did not inform him at all.
The existence of unidentified information between Johnson and Brownlow was revealed by a survey provided by the Electoral Commission, after which Geidt reviewed his initial investigation.
In a letter dated December 17, 2021, Geidt said he would have known of his contacts “I doubt if I had finished without qualifications” that Johnson had taken steps to inform the public. But the UK Prime Minister has been accused of violating ministerial rules.
Johnson apologized for failing to disclose all the details. “I am sorry that the Office of the Independent Advisor has been placed on the scene and just repeat my humble and sincere apology which I offered to discuss this matter today,” he wrote on December 21st.
Geidt said it was “very unfortunate” that Downing Street was not careful to ensure that they were given all the necessary information on the donations. “It is unfortunate that my past skills have not been able to rely on the full disclosure of important information,” he wrote.
Johnson said he did not have access to the WhatsApp messages sent to Brownlow on a mobile phone that was changed in April 2021, after it was revealed that the Prime Minister’s number had been in public for 15 years.
“You appreciate the security challenges we experienced at the time which means I did not have the opportunity to use my previous device and I do not remember the exchange of messages,” he said.
Geidt acknowledged that the plan “shaken my confidence” in the management of the supply chain management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system of the management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system management system the possible and actual failures of the process occurred in several levels of government arms “.
Geidt’s investigation has been criticized for its inadequacies. Tim Durrant, senior researcher at the Institute for Government think-tank, described the “failures in rotation”.
“If Geidt wanted to know more for the first time, officials should have been careful to inform him and look at old phones, and the Prime Minister would have remembered that he had been texting Brownlow a few months ago,” he said.
In a message to Mr. Brownlow, in which Johnson described his house as a “little point”, the Prime Minister also discussed the “massive demonstration”, which the prime minister said should be followed at the Great Exhibition of 1851., which showed the British monarchy. at Crystal Palace.
On January 18 2021, weeks after the messages were sent, Brownlow met with Secretary of Culture Oliver Dowden at the Royal Albert Hall “to discuss plans for a Great Exhibition 2.0”, according to registration of ministerial meetings.
Downing Street said the idea of another major demonstration “did not move forward”. Those familiar with the matter said the incident was a Brownlow secret and did not coincide with the ‘Unboxed’ celebration in the UK, which is due to take place later this year.
Johnson and Geidt both agreed in the letters that additional funding should be provided to the Secretariat, which oversees the ministry’s activities, and said its work would be reviewed. One Whitehall official described the study as a “dog dinner”.
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