Blonde bombshell Boris in trouble over dealings with American businesswoman

Whether you are for or against, there is no doubt that the grinding Brexit process has Britain staring at its own naval as the country continually rows over a single issue. Everything in Britain is now viewed through Brexit tinted lenses and everyone is identified according to whether they support Leave and Remain.

The bitterness of the debate has made people more partisan than ever and willing to defend the indefensible when it suits. Stories that would have been major just years ago fade away into the Brexit fog. This seems to be the case with the astonishing revelations in The Sunday Times about the alleged  misuse of public money by Boris Johnson when he was London Mayor.

Johnson is facing serious allegations that he failed to declare potential conflicts of interest over a close “friendship” with an American model and technology entrepreneur. Jennifer Arcuri, 34, was given a total of £126,000 in public money and privileged access to three official overseas trade missions led by the now prime minister, the newspaper reported.

Acuri’s small companies have jointly lost more than £1m, according to their latest accounts filed last year, so she isn’t exactly a business genius who can be guaranteed to have been good value for taxpayer’s money.

Arcuri’s business reportedly received £10,000 in sponsorship money from an organisation Johnson was responsible for as London mayor in 2013, and he is alleged to have attended numerous events she arranged that promoted her company.

Boris Johnson has declined to answer questions.

It is alleged that Arcuri was given preferential treatment in being allowed to join overseas trade missions led by Johnson as mayor despite her firm not meeting the eligibility criteria for any of the three trade missions she attended, the Sunday Times said. Initial decisions made to reject her application were reportedly overturned by Johnson himself, who Arcuri described as “one of her best friends”.

Now, I can’t think why Boris Johnson would want to bend the rules to help out Arcuri. I did however stroke my chin a little at the report in The Sunday Times that their sources had told them that Johnson was a regular visitor to the entrepreneur’s top-floor flat in Shoreditch, east London.

Although there’s no doubt that Johnson’s womanising habits say something deeper about his character, I can’t say that I have been overly bothered about it when it comes to judging him as a politician. Certainly, there are plenty on the Left who would overlook it in politicians they like but choose to skewer Johnson over it. This is something quite different.

Call me an old square, but if the allegations are confirmed there is something rather questionable about having a close friendship with a pretty model, who you visit regularly at her flat, and then, it is alleged, intervene on half of to ensure she gets showered in public money and access to official government trade missions.

As mayor of London, Johnson was bound by the Greater London Authority’s code of conduct “to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest”. He was also expressly barred from providing any undue benefits to friends.

It looks as though the prime minister might have broken these rules. If so, it would be misconduct in public office.

Of course, loyal Tory supporters and Leavers scared of Corbyn and the Remain movement are going to leap to his defence because these are the sad times we live in. They know though, if they think about it for a moment, that this stinks. If it is allowed to pass, it is another dangerous precedent that will lead to further erosion of political trust.

Perhaps it’s all a misunderstanding. These are allegations at this point. Jon Trickett, Labour’s Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, said “this cannot be swept under the carpet. It is a matter of the integrity of the man now leading our country, who appears to believe he can get away with anything.”

Or is this another story to disappear into the Brexit fog?