Boris Johnson has warned a London City Hall watchdog that it has no right or remit to investigate his relationship with businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri, HuffPost UK can reveal.
A letter, from the prime minister’s lawyers to the head of the London Assembly oversight committee, challenges its demands for “extensive” details of his links to Arcuri. It also suggests that it is not in “the public interest” for an Assembly investigation to take place as it “risked becoming politicised”.
The letter contains no personal details about the prime minister’s contacts with Arcuri.
Johnson has faced accusations of failing to declare a conflict of interest after the American tech entrepreneur was given public money and access to trade trips during his time as London Mayor.
The PM’s lawyers requested the letter was kept private and not for publication, although no agreement to this effect was made with the committee. The letter has been leaked to HuffPost UK in full.
Oversight committee chairman and Labour Assembly member Len Duvall had given the PM until Wednesday night to provide the required information about his links to Arcuri, but was instead sent the letter questioning his right to investigate.
Duvall’s committee had demanded details and a timeline of all “personal, social and professional” contacts between Johnson and Arcuri during his mayoral term.
But lawyers for Johnson suggest that there is no statutory reason why the committee has a role, given that a separate investigation has already been launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The Greater London Authority’s monitoring officer referred the case to the IOPC last month after allegations emerged of a relationship between the former mayor and the businesswoman.
In the letter, Johnson’s lawyers Atkins Thompson say he “intends to fully cooperate” with the IOPC inquiry.
However they stressed that the separate GLA body “is not and should not be in effect a Standards Body” and that “they may be exceeding their remit or overstepping the mark by requiring this information of our client”.
Duvall has given the prime minister until next Monday to explain why the letter should remain private.