Boris Johnson says he has 'no interest to declare' over links with US businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri
2 min read
Boris Johnson has insisted that he has "no interest to declare" regarding links between him and American businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri.
The Prime Minister said he had acted with “full propriety” during his time as London mayor, after it was alleged that he treated the former model favourably due to their friendship.
The Sunday Times last week reported that technology entrepreneur Ms Arcuri was given £126,000 in public money as well as privileged access to three foreign trade missions led by Mr Johnson when he was at City Hall.
The Greater London Authority has referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is considering whether Mr Johnson should be investigated for misconduct in public office.
The police watchdog’s involvement comes as the role of mayor of London is also London's police and crime commissioner.
Addressing the allegations on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, the PM said: “What I can tell you is that I was very, very proud of everything that we did in City Hall, to promote the public interest and to promote the interests of London...
“Everything was done with full propriety…There was no interest to declare.”
Asked if he believed it was a political attack, he added: “You’ve got to be realistic if you’re in my position, you’ve got to expect a lot of shot and shell.”
Ms Arcuri was previously quoted by The Sunday Times as saying: "Any grants received by my companies and any trade mission I joined were purely in respect of my role as a legitimate businesswoman."
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