Why Boris Johnson’s Alleged Sleaze Matters Even If The Polls Don’t Move Yet

Posted on 30/04/2021 by Boris Clair

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Despite the fire and fury of this week’s prime minister’s questions, it seems the cash for cushions row has so far amounted to little but a pillow fight in the eyes of voters.

Several polls in the last 24 hours have shown Tory numbers barely moving, with Labour’s even slightly down despite the sleaze allegations engulfing Boris Johnson.

And in a much less scientific test, a red wall Tory MP tells me they have had just 10 emails on the row over the past week from concerned voters.

Normally, we might give it a few more days before delivering a judgment on the impact of the row.

But the impending local elections next Thursday have led to a painful debate about whether it has had so-called “cut through” with the public.

Patrick English of YouGov tells me there is no doubt that it has, with nearly a third (31%) of the public following the story fairly or very closely, and a further 27% following it, if not closely.

The depressing truth seems that voters’ trust in politicians generally, and Johnson particularly, is so low that a row like this is “baked in”, says English.

“It’s not that they don’t care, or that they don’t want them to do it, they just sort of shrug and say they expect it from politicians.”

This has inevitably led to questions about whether Starmer has got his strategy right ahead of his first key electoral test.

The red wall Tory tells me the sleaze row is coming up more on the doorstep since Starmer’s evisceration of Johnson at prime minister’s questions.

But they wonder if his visit to a John Lewis store on Thursday (Carrie Symonds reportedly described the No.11 flat as a “John Lewis furniture nightmare”) may have been a mis-step, as voters are bringing up the row but in a “jokey” way.

Meanwhile, Tory election expert Lord Hayward believes Labour have missed opportunities to speak out on issues “which actually do matter to people now”, with jobs under threat at Liberty Steel in a situation linked to the Greensill lobbying scandal, the Toyoda Gosei factory closure in Rotherham and Nestle closing a factory in Newcastle.

Hayward says: “What they’ve been so obsessed with is sleaze, which appears in the immediate not to matter, that even issues that are there and matter to people on a day-by-day basis have actually gone by the board.

“And that I find absolutely staggering.”

Hayward does, however, believe political events can take a week or so to begin affecting polls, so there is time yet for the Labour leader on sleaze.

Looking beyond the local elections too, Starmer will have positioned himself as a leader on the issue if the Electoral Commission or other watchdogs punish Johnson or the Tories over the flat.

And the underlying numbers are not great for the PM should things go badly, with a YouGov trust rating of –22 and less than half of Tory voters more inclined to believe Johnson over top aide Dominic Cummings, who is promising to damage the PM at his select committee appearance on May 26.

English tells Tories: “I definitely wouldn’t be jubilant.

“If it just gets worse or if it does not go away, the figures of who is following it is only going to go up, the figures that say ‘I’m aware of it but I don’t care’ are only going to go down.

“That does have the potential to be quite harmful, there’s a lot of potential for this to move quickly in the wrong direction for the Tories.”

Meanwhile senior Tories, speaking privately this week, fear the collateral damage caused by the sleaze rows.

They worry about what happens to the party’s poll numbers when the twin effects of the vaccine bounce and the furlough life support scheme for jobs end, and if stories like this become more important to voters amid job losses.

Some even wonder whether Johnson can still carry out the big reshuffle many believe is coming soon, and will root out incompetence in government.

Can you sack Robert Jenrick following cronyism allegations when you yourself are facing them? Can you fire Gavin Williamson for incompetence when you can’t even file your register of interests on time? And if you can’t have a better Cabinet, do we see a repeat of the exams fiasco?

Starmer, as my colleague Paul Waugh suggested earlier this week, may be able to promote Johnson from “Major Sleaze” to the potentially far more damaging “General Shambles”.

Others also worry that a good performance in the local elections next week in the face of the sleaze row can only breed complacency in Downing Street about the need to improve standards in public office.

And that could lead to a very bad place, with faith in politics and politicians already so low.

Labour Shadow Minister Tried To Recruit Unpaid Volunteers To Work In His Office “Long Term”

Posted on 29/04/2021 by Boris Clair

Jessica TaylorPA

Labour MP Tan Dhesi in the Commons

Labour shadow minister Tan Dhesi has been warned to “pay people what they are worth” after trying to recruit unpaid volunteers to carry out “long term” work in his office.

A job advert on Working For An MP asked for “committed” people “passionate about helping others” and who “take satisfaction from getting stuff done” to volunteer for the Slough MP for no pay.

Tasks for the role included answering the phone, opening post, updating Dhesi’s website, writing to constituents, monitoring media coverage and other basic admin.

Most are jobs which would normally be carried out by a caseworker or parliamentary assistant, positions which would attract a salary of around £30,000.

The ad was removed minutes after HuffPost UK contacted the Labour Party.

A source close to Dhesi said the advert was placed due to an administration error and the Slough MP had been unaware. It is said Dhesi’s staff have been overwhelmed with casework due to the impact of the pandemic.

Zamzam Ibrahim, vice president of the European Students’ Union, warned Dhesi that “nobody should work for free”, adding: “Unpaid labour is far too often masked as volunteering and used to exploit young people. And far too often those unpaid volunteers are given same responsibility as salaried staff.

“Everybody from staff to interns to those on temporary contracts have a right to a living wage and a full array of employment benefits such as sick pay and holiday pay.”

One Labour staff member, who asked not to be named, told HuffPost UK: “It’s a shame really that a Labour MP would try to offer what is quite clearly a proper job role under the guise of ‘volunteering’, and even worse that it’s for long term.

“I’d like to think that MPs from our party would pay people what they are worth, even more so in this current economic climate.”

A note on the ad penned by W4MP, not Dhesi’s office, warned the work was voluntary, saying: “As such, there are no set hours and responsibilities and you should be free to come and go as you wish.

“If the post demands set hours and/or has a specific job description you may be deemed to be a ‘worker’ and be covered by national minimum wage/national living wage legislation.”

The ad said the MP was “looking for committed volunteers to assist his team over the coming months, and perhaps on a longer-term basis”.

It added: “If you’ve ever wanted to volunteer your time to help people in need, to support a fantastic local community and its elected MP, or experience what it’s like to be part of an MP’s busy team, then this volunteer role might be just for you.”

But the ad underlined “this is not an internship position or a job, and should not be viewed as such”, and said: “This position is very unlikely to lead to paid employment with Tan Dhesi MP and is not suitable for anyone seeking more than a voluntary role.”

HuffPost UK has approached Dhesi for comment but he has not responded.

The Labour Party, which backs a number of campaigns for fair pay, declined to comment and it was not clear if Dhesi had received any sanction.

Watchdog Must Carry Out Boris Johnson Flat Probe ‘Quickly’, Senior Tory Says

Posted on 29/04/2021 by Boris Clair

The election watchdog must carry out its investigation into who funded Boris Johnson’s Downing Street flat refurbishment quickly or risk the perception that it is “playing politics”, a senior Tory has said.

Tom Tugendhat told HuffPost UK’s Commons People podcast that the Electoral Commission must prove to be “regulators who are not only independent but are seen to be independent”.

The watchdog has said it is satisfied that “there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence or offences may have occurred” relating to the funding of the refurbishment of the No.11 flat.

No.10 has refused to say whether Johnson sought an initial loan or donation to cover a reported £58,000-worth of renovations to his residence in No. 11, which he shares with partner Carrie Symonds and their baby son Wilfred.

Political donations have to be declared to ensure there are no questions or concerns over politicians or parties being unduly influenced by those giving them money.

Tugendhat urged the commission to bring forward any evidence it has of wrongdoing quickly, or to drop the probe.

It comes after the watchdog took more than a year between launching an investigation into Tory spending in the 2015 general election and publishing its findings, although that appeared to be a much wider case.

Tugendhat told Commons People the commission was an organisation that has “really not always covered itself in glory”.

Niall Carson – PA Images via Getty Images

Tory MP and Commons foreign affairs committee chair Tom Tugendhat

Addressing the watchdog’s assessment that an offence may have been committed, he went on: “It is a certain challenge but I hope very much that if they are making statements like that then they will stand them up quickly.”

Tugendhat added: “I’m not in charge of this and the Electoral Commission is an independent organisation and they will have to do what they have to do.

“But if they are going to drag it out then it will begin to look like they are playing politics with it and that would be a great shame.

“Because what we need to have is independent regulators who are not only independent but are seen to be independent.

“So if they’ve got evidence, fine, bring it forward, publish, and if you don’t, drop it.”

The Commons foreign affairs committee chair was also asked whether he believes Johnson’s denial that he said in autumn that he would rather see “bodies piled high” than order another lockdown, and also the PM’s statements about the flat.

Tugendhat replied: “I think we’ve got to take the prime minister at his word.

“We all know what he’s like, he hasn’t changed in 25-30 years.

“None of this is a surprise.”

Asked how Johnson has been in those 25-30 years, the MP replied: “He’s been somebody who expresses himself with bonomie and with a certain lightness and that’s what we’re seeing.”

Tugendhat also said Tory candidates gearing up for next week’s local elections would rather be speaking about policy issues than the various allegations against Johnson.

“I’ve been speaking to a lot of candidates who would wish that the focus was on what they were trying to achieve for their communities, of course they do,” he said.

“And I sympathise with them, because there’s a lot of people who have worked extremely hard for four years who are trying to explain to their friends and neighbours exactly what they are going to do over the next four and that’s what really matters.”

Earlier, Johnson said he would “comply” with the Electoral Commission inquiry.

“I don’t think there is anything to see here, or worry about,” he told reporters.

Tories Urged To Expel Election Candidate Who ‘Endorsed’ Far-Right Leader

Posted on 28/04/2021 by Boris Clair

TOLGA AKMEN via Getty Images

Founder and former leader of the anti-Islam English Defence League (EDL), Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson, arrives at the Old Bailey, London’s Central Criminal Court, in central London on July 5, 2019

The Conservatives have been urged to expel a local election candidate who “endorsed” far-right leader Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, on social media.

The Tories were also asked to explain whether it was “incompetence or malice” that led to the candidate being readmitted to the party after reportedly resigning in 2018 when the post was first flagged with the party’s central office.

In the Facebook post first reported by the Lancashire Telegraph, Andrew Walker, a Tory candidate for Blackburn with Darwen Council, appeared to share a “meme” featuring a photo of Robinson which was headlined: “Tommy Robinson has done nothing but expose the truth behind radical Islam.”

Above the post, Walker wrote: “Cant be easy preaching what we all think !!!” [sic]

The Lancashire Telegraph also published screenshots showing Walker had once said on Facebook that “stabbing [Jeremy] Corbyn would get you knighted in my book”.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner urged the Conservatives to “reassure the public” that far-right supporters are not standing for the party in local elections.

“The Conservatives must explain whether it was incompetence or malice that led them to not only readmit this person into the party but then to select him as a candidate,” she told HuffPost UK.

“They must also set out what steps they are taking to reassure the public that no other far right […] supporters are standing for them in the local elections.”

Rayner said the Tories were facing “serious questions” over a “failure to tackle racism in their party”, pointing out that its inquiry into Islamophobia has still not published a report and in any case was “watered down before it even began”.

Anti-racism campaigners Hope Not Hate also raised concerns over the Islamophobia report and said there was no doubt that “endorsing” a convicted criminal like Yaxley-Lennon was “utterly unacceptable”.

The English Defence League (EDL) founder is currently being sued for libel by a Syrian teenager Jamal Hijazi, 17, over comments he made when the boy was attacked at his Huddersfield school in October 2018.

In 2019, Robinson was jailed for contempt of court after live-streaming on Facebook a video that featured defendants in a sexual exploitation trial and put the case at risk of collapse.

In the past, he has been convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, mortgage fraud and travelling on another man’s passport to the United States, among other offences.

A Hope Not Hate spokesperson said: “During the Conservative Party leadership contest, Boris Johnson and all other candidates committed to holding a specific inquiry into Islamophobia affecting the party. Many months later and that commitment has been watered down, we’re still waiting for the results of the resulting Singh inquiry, and we still have Conservative Party candidates sharing far-right memes and hatred against Muslims.

“In this day and age, no one can be in any doubt about the far-right rabble rouser ‘Tommy Robinson’, a multiply convicted violent criminal and fraudster, and it’s utterly unacceptable for any member of a political party – yet alone the party of government – to be enthusiastically endorsing his extremism.

“The Conservative Party must remove this candidate immediately, and expedite publishing the results of the inquiry into prejudice in the party.”

Walker’s election agent for the Darwen South seat said they could not comment as the matter is under investigation by Tory central office.

HuffPost UK has contacted Tory central office for comment.

The local elections take place on May 6.

Matt Hancock Totally Refuses To Answer Questions On Boris Johnson’s Flat

Posted on 28/04/2021 by Boris Clair

Matt Hancock has refused to answer questions about Boris Johnson’s Downing Street flat refurbishment, which is subject to an investigation by the election watchdog.

The health secretary twice totally refused to engage with questions on the issue before being challenged on his responses by Mirror deputy political editor Ben Glaze.

In response, Hancock suggested the media should only ask questions that the government decides “really matter”, while insisting the Downing Street press conference he was hosting was only about coronavirus.

At previous press conferences, ministers have been happy to answer questions on wider issues affecting the government.

It came after the Electoral Commission said “there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence or offences may have occurred” as it launched a probe into the refurbishment of the prime minister’s flat.

No.10 has refused to say whether Johnson sought an initial loan from the Conservative Party to cover a reported £58,000-worth of renovations to his residence in No. 11, which he shares with partner Carrie Symonds and their baby son Wilfred.

Political donations have to be declared to ensure there are no questions or concerns over politicians or parties being unduly influenced by those giving them money.

At a Downing Street press briefing, BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg asked Hancock whether a serving government minister who is found to have broken party funding rules should resign.

But the health secretary replied: “I know that the prime minister answered lots of questions about this in the House of Commons earlier and given that this is a coronavirus press conference you won’t be surprised I’m not going to add to the answers the prime minister has already given to very extensive questioning, thanks.”

Times Whitehall editor Chris Smyth then asked two questions on Covid before enquiring whether the government was still threatening to abolish the Electoral Commission.

Hancock replied: “I think we’ll give the third one [question] a miss.”

The health secretary was then challenged over his approach by Glaze.

The Mirror journalist said: “As culture secretary, you championed the right of the free press and fourth estate to ask difficult questions.

“Yet this evening you haven’t engaged with those questions from Chris or from Laura around Tory sleaze.

“Now what’s the point in us being able to ask difficult questions if you’re not going to engage with them?”

Hancock replied: “The point of the press conference is the incredibly important progress that we’re making about coronavirus, which is without doubt the most important thing facing the country.

“And if you’ve listened to the answers, I’m sure you have… you will have one of the most illuminating descriptions of where we are up to scientifically, and operationally and clinically that is available, and I’m very, very grateful to the incredible capability of people who support me as a minister.

“It is important there are questions and there were endless questions in the House of Commons earlier on some of the issues that you’ve raised, and you will have seen the appointment of [new independent adviser on ministerial interests] Lord Geidt earlier.

“But you’ve also got to concentrate on the big things that really matter.”

Earlier this month , Boris Johnson was accused of breaking ministerial rules when he used a televised briefing on the Covid pandemic to launch an “unprompted political attack” on London mayor Sadiq Khan about the Transport for London budget.

Exclusive: Ministers Face Legal Action Over Tory Slogan Used In Taxpayer-Funded Adverts

Posted on 27/04/2021 by Boris Clair

DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS via AFP via Getty Images

The government has been accused of using public money to “feather the Tory party nest”.

Boris Johnson’s ministers are facing legal action over claims his government misused public funds to pay for Tory party “political messaging” ahead of local elections.

The Good Law Project has triggered proceedings in a letter to Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and has told HuffPost UK the “Trumpian” government is using public money to “feather the Tory party nest”.

Ministers are trying to boost the Tories’ chances in town hall elections next month by blurring the divide between the “dissemination of government information and party political campaigning”, the campaign group says.

It says government-funded videos, which often feature the Conservatives’ “Build Back Better” slogan and the No 10 crest, are “virtually impossible to distinguish” from political campaign videos on the ruling party’s website.

It comes as Johnson faces a slew of allegations of “Tory sleaze”, with the prime minister himself texting billionaire James Dyson pledging to “fix” tax problems for the manufacturer if they would make ventilators.

The party’s ‘Build Back Better’ slogan on the Conservative Party website

Gemma Abbott, legal director of the Good Law Project, told HuffPost UK: “Make no mistake, this is Trumpian stuff. And is all the more egregious given that we are just weeks away from the biggest set of local elections this side of a general election.

“This issue goes to the very heart of our democracy. The British public should not be paying to further the electoral ambitions of the Conservative Party. We will not allow this misuse of state resources to go unchallenged.”

Lawyers pick out the “Build Back Better” slogan, used both on the masthead of the Conservative Party website and in government communications, and replicated as “Bus Back Better” and “Build Back Greener” in separate publicly-funded campaigns to underline investment in buses and energy projects.

Lawyers highlight several recent government videos which it says “carry the distinct look and feel of a party political broadcast”.

They include:

Sleek ads promoting Union connectivity projects in Scotland and Wales, where devolved administrations are electing new governments
An ad for two new offshore wind ports in the Humber and on Teesside, where key mayoral elections are taking place
A video marking a long-planned and previously-promoted boost to the minimum wage on April 1

Governments are legally required to have a policy for how they maintain a clear dividing line between informative communications, and electoral materials, so that they cannot use state resources to maintain their grip on power.

The Good Law Project is calling on the government to outline its policy and how it has been adhered to.

The letter from the campaign group to Gove says: “The government has disseminated publicly funded videos and other media purporting to provide information to the public concerning government initiatives and policies, but where it is very difficult to see the public benefit of the information.

We’re building back greener, with a £95 million investment to create two new offshore wind ports in the Humber and on Teesside, building the next generation of offshore wind turbines whilst creating 6,000 new green jobs.

➡️ https://t.co/58dR4LaLTi pic.twitter.com/arPAKQdFSc

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) March 11, 2021

“Instead the material would appear (in effect if not in purpose) to be
primarily material that promotes a political party, reflecting and
supporting the party’s political messaging.”

The Cabinet Office has said the slogan “articulates the government’s priority to support economic recovery”.

It also says the government issues guidance to communications officers on material that may be political and says that videos outlined to the government predate the election campaign period.

The House of Commons Library says that the convention for civil servants to avoid any communications that could influence voters is three weeks ahead of an election. Voters go to the polls across the UK on May 6, but due to the pandemic many will be casting a postal ballot earlier.

Boris Johnson has used his party’s ‘Build Back Better’ slogan across government

Boris Johnson has used his party’s “Build Back Better” slogan across government

The civil service code also says civil servants must remain politically impartial and cannot “act in a way that is determined by party political considerations, or use official resources for party political purposes”.

The legal challenge follows strong criticism of Johnson hijacking a press conference on Covid to launch a political attack on London mayor Sadiq Khan, who is running for a second term against Tory candidate Shaun Bailey.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “‘Build Back Better’ articulates the government’s priority to support economic recovery, increase job opportunities and level up across all four corners of the UK.

“The government issues guidance to ensure that civil servants act with political impartiality, in line with legislation and the civil service code.”

Minister Has ‘No Idea’ When Register Of Ministers’ Interests Will Be Published

Posted on 25/04/2021 by Boris Clair

A cabinet minister has said she has no idea when the latest register of ministers’ interests will be published, amid a row over how Boris Johnson paid for the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat.

Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, international trade secretary Liz Truss said the prime minister had paid for the refit himself.

But she was unable to say where he got the money.

Labour has demanded the government publish the register before the local elections on May 6.

The register, which sets out the financial interests of ministers, was last published in July 2020 despite the ministerial code requiring it to be released “twice yearly”.

Asked when the latest version would be released, Truss said: “I’m sure it will be published.”

Marr asked Truss: “You could go back after this programme, literally press the send button and publish it. Why not?”

She said: “I’m sure it will be published in line with the rules.”

Pressed on if she had “any idea why it’s not been published”, Truss said: “No, I haven’t.”

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said there was a “real stench” around the government and called on Johnson to go to parliament on Monday to explain what happened.

Rayner said the commission should now launch a full inquiry and she called on the prime minister to publish the latest register of ministers’ interests which was now eight months overdue.

“These are serious allegations,” she told Marr. “Why are they hiding the fact that ministers have to declare these donations and they’ve not done that? That’s serious. This is a real stench around what (the) government is about.”

The Electoral Commission – which first raised the issue with the Conservative Party more than a month ago – has said it is still looking into whether any of the sums relating to the work on the flat should have been declared under the rules on political donations.

Can Boris Johnson Escape Dominic Cummings?

Posted on 23/04/2021 by Boris Clair

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Despite swimming in allegations of “Tory sleaze” from his opponents, Boris Johnson was characteristically upbeat when he faced reporters on Friday afternoon.

Pressed on those leaked text messages he exchanged with billionaire James Dyson at the height of the pandemic, he snapped back that there was not “anything remotely dodgy or rum or weird or sleazy about trying to secure more ventilators”.

The PM was, as ever, carefully sidestepping the real question: what exactly did he mean when he told the Tory donor that Rishi Sunak could “fix” tax issues for Dyson?

But with election warfare resuming proper and Covid infection rates continuing to fall, this week felt as though the normal rough and tumble of politics was back and crackling.

Not least because it marked the return to the stage of a very familiar Westminster actor: the Downing Street source.

Also known as ‘a source close to the prime minister’ or ‘one familiar with the workings of Number 10’, the source briefed three newspapers that the PM’s former aide Dominic Cummings was behind leaks to the media.

The PM was “disappointed” at how “bitter” Cummings had become, the source said, in three reports published at almost exactly the same time on Thursday.

Johnson’s official spokesperson attempted to distance the PM from the reports (yes, the ones citing a ‘Downing Street source’), calling them “speculation”.

Not one to take it on the chin, Cummings hit back hard in a blog today, saying it was “sad to see the PM and his office fall so far below the standards of competence and integrity the country deserve”, but he “will not engage in media briefing regarding these issues”. He repeated his call for a public inquiry into how the government has handled Covid and said he will give evidence to MPs.

An internal investigation is underway to find out who leaked what, but one thing’s for sure: Keir Starmer’s calls for a probe into the Dyson texts now seem like a sideshow.

And, while Johnson may struggle to escape Cummings’ desire for revenge if the former Vote Leave boss is indeed on the war path, it does Number 10 no harm if Johnson is able to sidestep scrutiny in the process.

It comes just days after the PM demoted his press secretary Allegra Stratton and scrapped on-camera briefings for journalists – rendering useless the new £2.6m press room Dominic Raab once insisted was “value for money”, which further raises questions about the government’s media strategy, both nationally and locally.

Angela Rayner was the first to go on the attack, telling Johnson had presided over a day of “cover-ups and cock-ups” and shown “breath-taking contempt for the country” over both the texts and Cummings.

The deputy Labour leader has also written to Tory chair Amanda Milling over the party amplifying “fake news” about hospital cuts in Teesside from a US-based site called Hartlepool TV. The site and its associated pages have also shared conspiracy theories about vaccines, the Capitol Hill attack and voting fraud in the 2020 US elections.

Rayner warned campaigning in the forthcoming elections must “not be used as a vehicle for the spreading of hate, conspiracy theory and misinformation”.

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden won plaudits for his punchy pledge for a fans-led review of football this week. He has previously warned the government’s long-awaited online harms bill would herald a “new age of accountability” for tech companies who fail to tackle fake news on their platforms.

Here’s hoping the fast-approaching end of the pandemic is not seen by this government as a green light to avoid scrutiny itself.

Dominic Cummings Blasts Boris Johnson Over His ‘Competence And Integrity’ And Denies Leaking Stories

Posted on 23/04/2021 by Boris Clair

Dominic Cummings has questioned Boris Johnson’s “competence and integrity” as he accused the prime minister of being responsible for a series of false allegations about him in the media.

In an explosive blog posting, Johnson’s former top adviser denied he was responsible for the leak of private texts in which he promised to “fix” a tax issue for the entrepreneur Sir James Dyson.

He also claimed the PM had tried to stop an inquiry into the leak last year of plans for a second lockdown because it implicated a friend of his fiancee, Carrie Symonds.

He said that he had also warned Johnson against plans to have donors secretly pay for refurbishment of his Downing Street flat, saying they were “unethical, foolish (and) possibly illegal”.

“It is sad to see the PM and his office fall so far below the standards of competence and integrity the country deserves,” he said.

His attack follows briefings to a number of newspapers, which said Johnson believed Cummings was the source of the leaks about the lockdown and his texts to Sir James as well as stories about the flat refurbishment.

It follows his dramatic departure from No 10 last year amid the fallout from a bitter power struggle with Symonds.

Denying the being the source of the BBC story on Johnson’s text communications with the businessman, Cummings said: “I do have some WhatsApp messages between the PM/Dyson forwarded to me by the PM. I have not found the ones that were leaked to Laura Kuenssberg on my phone nor am I aware of being sent them last year. I was not directly or indirectly a/the source for the BBC/Kuenssberg story on the PM/Dyson texts.”

He said he is “happy to meet with the Cabinet secretary” and to have his phone searched.

He added: “If the PM did send them to me, as he is claiming, then he will be able to show the Cabinet secretary on his own phone when they were sent to me.

“It will therefore be easy to establish at least if I was ever sent these messages. I am also happy to publish or give to the Cabinet Secretary the PM/Dyson messages that I do have, which concerned ventilators, bureaucracy and covid policy — not tax issues.”

Referring to the leak of a decision on having another lockdown last autumn, Cummings said: “Last year there was a meeting between the PM, Cabinet Secretary, the director of communications and me regarding the leak of the decision for a further lockdown on the Friday evening immediately after the meeting in the Cabinet Room that made the decision (known in the media as ‘the chatty rat story’).”

He said Johnson “knows that I was not the source of the leak and that the Cabinet secretary authorised the prime Minister’s official spokesman to tell the media this, yet he has now authorised his DOC (director of communications) to make this accusation”.

He said events around that situation had “contributed to my decision to stick to my plan to leave No10 by 18 December, which I had communicated to the PM in July the day before my long-delayed operation”.

Cummings said Johnson had “stopped speaking” to him about renovations to the Downing Street flat last year “as I told him I thought his plans to have donors secretly pay for the renovation were unethical, foolish, possibly illegal and almost certainly broke the rules on proper disclosure of political donations if conducted in the way he intended”.

He added: “I refused to help him organise these payments. My knowledge about them is therefore limited.

“I would be happy to tell the Cabinet secretary or Electoral Commission what I know concerning this matter.”

Cummings said he has “made the offer to hand over some private text messages, even though I am under no legal obligation to do so, because of the seriousness of the claims being made officially by No10 today, particularly the covid leak that caused serious harm to millions”.

However, he added that this “does not mean that I will answer every allegation made by No10”.

He said the “proper way for such issues to be handled” would be through a parliamentary inquiry into the government’s conduct over the Covid crisis.

He said this “ought to take evidence from all key players under oath and have access to documents”.

He added: “Issues concerning covid and/or the PM’s conduct should not be handled as No10 has handled them over the past 24 hours.

“I will cooperate fully with any such inquiry and am happy to give evidence under oath.

“I am happy for No10 to publish every email I received and sent July 2019-November 2020 (with no exceptions other than, obviously, some national security / intelligence issues).”

The ex-aide confirmed he will appear before MPs next month.

He wrote: “I will not engage in media briefing regarding these issues but will answer questions about any of these issues to parliament on 26 May for as long as the MPs want.”

Johnson declined to say why No 10 insiders suspected Cummings is behind leaks of his correspondence.

During a campaign visit to Hartlepool, Johnson told broadcasters: “I think people aren’t so much interested in who is leaking what to whom as the substance of the issue at hand. The issue is really the question of the ventilators as you will remember James Dyson was offering to make.

“Let’s be absolutely clear I think it was right to talk to him.”

He said he is “mystified” as to why some people have “chosen to attack” his communications.

Asked if he will take legal action against Cummings, the prime minister said: “I think there’s much more public interest in what we’re doing not just to procure ventilators…

“And we’re now in a position where we do have 30,000 ventilators, we’re able for instance to think about what we can do to help the people of India who are suffering so terribly at the moment.”

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