Boris Johnson condemned by London Assembly as he misses Jennifer Arcuri deadline
2 min read
Boris Johnson has come in for fresh criticism after he missed a deadline to respond to allegations about his relationship with US businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri.
The London Assembly had asked the Prime Minister a series of questions dating back to when he was mayor of the city.
Mr Johnson has insisted he had "no interest to declare" over his relationship with Ms Arcuri, which saw her invited on trade missions and given a total of £126,000 in public grants during his time in City Hall.
The Assembly gave the PM 14 days to respond to the story, which first appeared in the Sunday Times, with the deadline expiring at 6pm on Tuesday.
Members demanded details and a timeline of Mr Johnson's contact with Ms Arcuri and an explanation of how the relationship was “disclosed”.
Len Duvall, Chair of the London Assembly Oversight Committee, said: “It is very disappointing that we have not received a response from the Prime Minister.
"Missing the deadline of a polite request to fully cooperate is unhelpful and this already serious situation has now become grave. The allegations of potential misuse of taxpayers’ money are no laughing matter. We will be taking this further."
He added: “There are now a range of options available to us. Next week, the Oversight Committee will meet to discuss those options and decide on its next course of action.
“You can be assured that the London Assembly will investigate this matter with absolute commitment.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), is also considering whether Mr Johnson should be investigated for misconduct in public office.
In an interview earlier this week, Ms Arcuri repeatedly refused to deny that she had an affair with Mr Johnson when he was mayor.
A Downing Street source said they would be responding to the Assembly on Tuesday evening.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
