Boris Johnson criticised over Mustique trip explanation

Boris Johnson has been criticised by the MPs standards watchdog for failing to promptly explain how a trip to Mustique was funded – however he has been cleared of breaching the rules.

An inquiry was launched into the prime minister’s 2019 Caribbean holiday after confusion over who paid for the trip.

The Committee on Standards has now concluded that Mr Johnson’s account was “accurate and complete”.

But, it added it was “regrettable” a full explanation had not come earlier.

In making its judgement, the committee overruled the Commons standards commissioner Kathryn Stone who having carried out the report had concluded that Mr Johnson broke the rules by having not “fulfilled conscientiously” the requirements to register donations.

The committee – made up of MPs and members of the public – said it reached a different conclusion after receiving additional evidence.

The prime minister told reporters he hadn’t seen the conclusions of the report but said “as I understand it, the committee has found there was no case to answer.”

Responding to the report, Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “The way Johnson handles his personal finances mirrors the way he governs the country – chaos and confusion.”

Agencies