Call for inquiry into Boris Johnson's Checkers dinner with billionaire relative

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Boris Johnson is facing a potential probe into whether he broke ministerial code by using Checkers during a dinner with the BBC chairman and a billionaire relative who backed a loan.

The Liberal Democrats have written to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case asking him to investigate whether the then-Prime Minister discussed his own financial affairs at the mansion. 'State of Grace and Favor.

Mr. Johnson used Checkers to host a dinner with BBC chairman Richard Sharp and his distant Canadian cousin Sam Blyth - the guarantor of a credit facility of up to £800,000 - in May 2021.

En under the ministerial code, ministers can only use official residences for personal business if paid for at their own expense.

In a letter shared with The Independent, the Lib Dem chief whip Wendy Chamberlain has asked Mr Case to launch and 'urgent' investigation and establish whether the £800,000 line of credit has been discussed.

"We have Urgently needed arity on whether Johnson used Checkers to discuss his own personal financial affairs and, if so, whether he paid for the expenses himself,” she said. Failure to do so would be a potential violation of the Departmental Code and an inexcusable misuse of taxpayers' money."

Seni MP Gold added: "Boris Johnson's entire tenure as Prime Minister has been marred by sordidness and scandal. The British people deserve to know if Johnson used public money to secure his own personal piggy bank. »

Mr. "that the BBC chairman had no knowledge of his personal finances.

Mr Sharp said in a BBC interview on Tuesday that the £800,000 credit deal had no was brought up over dinner at Checkers - claiming he had only gone to the "bat" on behalf of the broadcaster.

The president was called to stand down after it emerged that at the end of 2020, he had introduced Mr Blyth to the Cabinet Secretary so that they could discuss whether the billionaire could vouch for the line of credit.