Labour puts pressure on Boris Johnson over declaring luxury holiday freebie

Labour is putting further pressure on the government following the Owen Paterson controversy by demanding a “sleaze inquiry” into whether Boris Johnson broke the rules when he chose not to declare a luxury holiday donation.

The Prime Minister has made a ministerial declaration that in October 2021 he stayed “in a holiday home in southern Spain which was provided free of charge by the Goldsmiths”, referring to Tory peer Zac Goldsmith.

But Downing Street has confirmed that Johnson does not intend to declare this gift in the House of Commons register of members’ interests, where a cost estimate would have to be given for the stay in the Marbella villa.

Angela Rayner has today written to the parliamentary standards commissioner, who has already found the Prime Minister guilty of breaking the rules on two previous occasions, demanding an inquiry into the matter.

Labour’s deputy leader has highlighted that Goldsmith was given a peerage and a ministerial job by Johnson, which she says could lead the public to conclude that the Prime Minister is “dishing out cushy jobs to his friends who pay for his luxury holidays”.

Justifying the move, journalists have been pointed to category four of the code of conduct, which says MPs do not need to register visits “wholly unconnected with membership of the House or with the Member’s parliamentary or political activities (e.g. family holidays)”.

“The declarations in terms of the transparency requirements have been met by the Prime Minister,” a No 10 spokesman said.

“Given the hospitality was provided by another minister, it’s right that the Prime Minister made this declaration in his ministerial capacity to ensure sufficient transparency.

“I’d also point out this was a family holiday at the home of long standing family friends and is unconnected with the PM’s parliamentary and political activities.

“The PM has written to the House of Commons registrar to set out that this holiday has been declared under the ministerial code, because the arrangement is with another minister.”

The spokesman also refused to deny claims that some Tory MPs were threatened this week with less government funding for their constituencies if they refused to back the government on the Owen Paterson vote.

The government refused to implement the 30-day suspension for the Conservative MP found to have broken the rules of paid lobbying, and whipped MPs to overturn the recommendation. Ministers then performed a U-turn, and Paterson quit parliament in response.

Labour has also released an attack ad on social media, with the message “Boris Johnson and the Conservatives are corrupt”:

Below is the full text of the letter from Angela Rayner to the parliamentary standards commissioner.

4th November 2021

Sent via email

Dear Commissioner,

I am writing to you regarding the Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

In the List of Ministers’ Interests published today, the Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in his capacity as the Prime Minister declared that in October 2021 he stayed “in a holiday home in southern Spain which was provided free of charge by the Goldsmiths”. The Prime Minister did not declare the value of this gift, but it is reasonable to assume that the value was a significant amount given media outlets have reported that this villa is rented out at a fee of £25,000 per week.

However, he has not declared this gift in the Register of Members’ Interests. This appears to be a breach of the House Code of Conduct and the rules relating to the Conduct of Members regarding the declaration and registration of interests and gifts.

You will of course be aware that the last time the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip enjoyed a free luxury holiday your subsequent report found that “Mr Johnson was required under the House’s rules to register the holiday accommodation he received” and the Committee for Standards agreed with the conclusion, stating that “Mr Johnson was required to register the holiday accommodation he received in the Register of Members’ Interests… Mr Johnson was required by the Guide to the Rules, which has the authority of the House, to register the accommodation”.

It is also worth noting that Lord Goldsmith was given a peerage and a ministerial job by Mr Johnson. The public could understandably draw the conclusion in this case that the Prime Minister is dishing out cushy jobs to his friends who pay for his luxury holidays.

Given the Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip has a long history of breaching the rules in relation to parliamentary standards and other integrity and anti-corruption measures, it is my assumption that he will be eager to ensure that he fulfils his obligations under the Rules of the House of Commons in this case.

We cannot have a situation where Boris Johnson behaves like it’s one rule for him and another for everyone else. I would be grateful for your guidance on whether this is a breach of the rules, and whether you will investigate the Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

Yours sincerely,

Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP