No 10 refurb row: Grieve calls Boris Johnson ‘vacuum of integrity’
April 24, 2021, 10:20 am

No 10 refurb row: Grieve calls Boris Johnson ‘vacuum of integrity’

Dominic Grieve, a former chairman of the intelligence and security committee, told BBC Radio 4: ‘My impression is there has been constant wriggling about the source of the money for this refurbishment.’

Former Tory attorney general piles pressure on PM demanding to know how residence revamp was funded

The former attorney general, Dominic Grieve, has described Boris Johnson as a “vacuum of integrity” as the prime minister came under pressure to explain how the refurbishment of the Downing Street flat was paid for following an explosive attack by his former chief adviser Dominic Cummings.

The government has said Johnson paid for the refurbishment, reportedly costed at £58,000, but in an explosive blog post, Cummings claimed the prime minister had sought outside funding from Conservative supporters.

Grieve, a long-standing critic of the prime minister, joined Labour in calling on Johnson to explain how the revamp of the Downing Street property was funded.

The former attorney general told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he thought it has become “quite clear” that Johnson was given “a significant gift” towards the flat’s refurbishment, adding: “It is all smoke and mirrors. He hasn’t said when he decided to repay it or whether he has now repaid it.”

Comparing the alleged £58,000 plan to receiving a gift on a ministerial trip overseas, Grieve said: “If a minister goes abroad and gets given a gold watch by a foreign minister he has to hand it back to the government or he has to buy it back. He doesn’t end up with £58,000 – if that’s the figure – for refurbishing your private flat in Downing Street.

“My impression is there has been constant wriggling about the source of the money for this refurbishment.”

Labour has also called for the full details of the refurbishment’s funding to be published, decrying the incident as “the behaviour of a tin-pot dictatorship”.

The shadow communities secretary, Steve Reed, called on the government to release any correspondence relating to payments or donations around the work done on the flat.

Reed told the Today programme: “We need to know the full amount that was spent and we need to know who paid for the work in the first place who the prime minister now proposes to reimburse.”

He said it was important to know who was making “significant donations” to the Tory party, in order to make sure the government “isn’t doing favours for them in return”.

He added: “That is what sleaze is all about. That is the behaviour of a tin-pot dictatorship. Britain, frankly, deserves a lot better than that.”

Reed’s remarks follow a lengthy blog post from Cummings on Friday, in which he wrote that he had told the prime minister that his alleged plans for Tory donors to covertly fund the renovation were “unethical, foolish, possibly illegal and almost certainly broke the rules on proper disclosure of political donations if conducted in the way he intended”.

Cummings said Johnson had stopped speaking to him about the issue in 2020 after he said this, adding: “I would be happy to tell the cabinet secretary or Electoral Commission what I know concerning this matter.”

A government statement released on Friday revealed that contractors had been brought in to paint, sand and refresh floorboards. However, it maintained: “Any costs of wider refurbishment in this year have been met by the prime minister personally.”

Cummings’ outburst came a day after anonymous government sources claimed that Johnson’s former top adviser had leaked private text messages between the prime minister and the billionaire James Dyson, which he denies, leading Labour to accuse the government of “fighting each other like rats in a sack”.

In response to Cummings’ blog, No 10 said: “At all times, the government and ministers have acted in accordance with the appropriate codes of conduct and electoral law. Cabinet Office officials have been engaged and informed throughout and official advice has been followed.

“All reportable donations are transparently declared and published – either by the Electoral Commission or the House of Commons registrar, in line with the requirements set out in electoral law.

“Gifts and benefits received in a ministerial capacity are, and will continue to be, declared in transparency returns.”

source: Clea Skopeliti

Levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.