PMQs as it happened: Boris Johnson says he 'covered the cost' of Downing Street flat refurb in fiery exchange
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Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer had one of the most heated PMQs exchanges this year today as the Labour leader focussed his questions on accusations that the recent refurbishment works on the flat above Number 11 Downing Street were funded by Tory donors.
After leading with a question on the PM’s alleged ‘let the bodies pile high’ comment which was roundly rebuffed, Starmer shifted focus to Flat-gate, where he remained for the rest of the session.
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Hide AdJohnson insisted throughout that he has covered the costs of the refurb personally, but the wording of Starmer’s questions and the prime minister’s answers leaves open the possibility that the works were initially paid for by someone else.
Given the week Johnson is having it may come as a surprise that there came no knockout blow for Starmer, but Johnson has proved time and time again that he is at his best when backed into a corner, and he will likely have left the chamber after today’s PMQs feeling largely unscathed.
PMQs: Boris Johnson to face questions over Downing Street refurbishment and ‘let the bodies pile high’ comment
Key Events
Boris bites back
After insisting that he “covered the cost” of refurbishment in answer to several questions, Johnson hits back.
“No I don’t. What I believe has been strained to breaking point is the credulity of the public. He has half an hour every week to put serious and sensible questions to me about the state of the pandemic, about the vaccine rollout, about what we’re doing to support our NHS, about what we’re doing to fight crime, about what we’re doing to bounce back from this pandemic, about the economic recovery, about jobs for the people of this country. And he goes on and on about wallpaper, when I’ve said umpteen times now: I paid for it!”
Major Sleaze
Starmer quotes the Nolan principles.
“Selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness honesty and leadership.” He then lists “dodgy contracts, jobs for their mates and cash for access” and says the prime minister, “Major Sleaze” is at the heart of it.
Johnson in full bluster mode now, after shaking his head furiously at Starmer’s last question.
Says the government is sending ventilators to India after last week Starmer attacked him over Dyson and ventilators (worth noting here that the ventilators sent to India will not have been manufactured by Dyson).
Says Labour attacked vaccine taskforce head Kate Bingham for cronyism, when she has delivered the vaccine.
“Our friends in the European Union”
On something of a roll, Johnson says; “I forgot to mention it - last night our friends in the European Union voted to approve out Brexit deal, which he opposed”
Says it enables us to take control of our borders, which Starmer opposed, and deliver Freeports in places like Teeside. Also credits the Brexit deal with allowing the success of the UK’s vaccine rollout.
“Week after week the people of this country can see the difference between a Labour party, which twists and turns with the wind that thinks of nothing but playing political games, whereas this party gets on with delivering on the people’s priorities, and I hope people will vote Conservative on May 6th.”
His finishing statement is met by barracking from the benches behind him, prompting the speaker to call for quiet; something of a rarity in the socially-distanced House of Commons, and an indicator of the tone of this week’s exchange.
Finished
And that’s it.
Starmer’s approach was typically considered and as is often the case seemed to be about getting Johnson on record in hopes he will be proved to have lied in the future, rather than scoring rhetorical points.
With so much to choose from today, Johnson’s somewhat rattled reaction to his questions on the Downing Street flat story suggest Starmer picked right to focus on this over the ‘let the bodies pile high’ comments.
Despite some punchy sections in his responses the prime minister did seem to stumble a little on the detail of the refurbishment claims. His insistence on using the specific wording that he “has covered the cost” suggests there is something to the claims that refurbishment costs were initially met by Tory donors.
Although it’s difficult to know how much this issue will cut through if, as seems to be the case, the worst thing that could yet come out is that while a Tory donor did pay toward the refurbishments, the PM later covered the cost.
Will voters take major issue with this? It seems doubtful, and Johnson’s lines about PMQs being an opportunity for Starmer to ask about the pandemic, the recovery, jobs or the NHS, may well land with voters for whom the matter of who initially paid an invoice for renovation works to a posh flat may seem particularly abstract, particularly at a time of national crisis.