Boris Johnson under investigation over £15,000 Caribbean island holiday

Downing Street has previously said that “all relevant transparency requirements” were met around the trip to the private island

The Prime Minister is under investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over his £15,000 trip to the Caribbean island of Mustique.

Kathryn Stone, who is the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, has confirmed that for the first time she is looking into whether Boris Johnson had properly declared the trip abroad.

The prime minister took the trip with Carrie Symonds, his partner, at the end of 2019 in the wake of his victory in the general election.

Downing Street has previously said “all relevant transparency requirements” were met around the trip to Mustique, which is a private island in the archipelago nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The PM’s official spokesman said on Monday that Mr Johnson “transparently declared the benefit in kind in the Commons register of interests” and followed the rules “throughout”.

This comes after Labour has accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of lying over who paid for the renovation costs to his Downing Street flat. Pressure is growing on the Prime Minister to reveal details after his ex-adviser, Dominic Cummings, claimed he planned for donors to “secretly pay” for the renovation work.

But there was confusion when the PM declared the holiday in the register of MPs’ interests last year.

In the entry, Mr Johnson said that he had accepted “accommodation for a private holiday for my partner and me, value £15,000”, citing that the Tory donor David Ross as the provider.

But a spokesperson for Mr Ross, the co-founder of Carphone Warehouse, denied he had paid for it.

Mr Ross has since looked to further clarify matters, agreeing that it was a “benefit in kind” to the PM and Ms Symonds during their private break.

A spokesman for Mr Ross reiterated his position on Monday, saying: “Mr Ross facilitated accommodation for Mr Johnson on Mustique valued at £15,000.

“Therefore this is a benefit in kind from Mr Ross to Mr Johnson, and Mr Johnson’s declaration to the House of Commons is correct.”

The PM appears on a list of nine MPs who are under investigation by the commissioner, which has been published under new Commons rules.

Before the change, the commissioner was not allowed to say whether she was inquiring into a complaint against an MP.

This comes after the Daily Mail has reported that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told an October meeting: “No more ****ing lockdowns – let the bodies pile high in their thousands!”

Reacting to the news, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “Another day, another investigation into Boris Johnson for more sleaze and dodgy dealings.

“The public have a right to know who paid for Boris Johnson’s luxury Caribbean holiday and the renovation of his flat.

“Most importantly, we need to know what these donors were promised or expected in return for their generosity.

“As we have seen over the last year, Tory donors have received a very high return on their investment in the form of government contracts.

“Boris Johnson needs to stop using the office of prime minister as an opportunity to fund his lavish lifestyle and enrich his mates.”