The Conservative Party has been fined nearly £18,000 for improperly declaring donations towards the refurb of Number 11, with the accompanying report revealing discrepancies between what the PM said and what happened.
Boris Johnson’s claim he knew nothing about how the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat was being funded has been contradicted by an investigation.
The Electoral Commission has fined the party £17,800 for improperly declaring donations by Huntswood Associates used for the works at 11 Downing Street, where the PM lives.
In its report, concluding an investigation into the payments, the commission revealed Mr Johnson sent Lord Brownlow, the multimillionaire director of Huntswood, a WhatsApp message in November 2020 requesting additional money from a trust set up to fund the refurb.
But in May this year, Lord Geidt, the independent adviser on ministers’ interests, was told by the PM that he “knew nothing about such payments until immediately prior to media reports in February 2021”.
Image:The prime minister lives above No 11 Downing Street
Lord Geidt was also told by officials that before February Mr Johnson did not know “either the fact or the method of the costs of refurbishing the apartment having been paid”.
A senior Conservative told Sky News he would be “astounded” if Lord Geidt chose to remain as the PM’s adviser if he concludes the PM was “economic with the truth” in his dealings with him.
The PM’s official spokesman denied Mr Johnson had lied and insisted he has “acted in accordance with the rules at all times” and has “made all necessary declarations”.
He said Mr Johnson’s discussions with Lord Brownlow “were done without him knowing the underlying donor of that donation”.
The spokesman added that Lord Geidt remains in post and Mr Johnson has full confidence in him, but could not say whether Lord Geidt had been shown the WhatsApp exchanges.
ANALYSIS BY SAM COATES, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR
The details in the Electoral Commission report could have profound implications for Boris Johnson. The investigation was able to obtain the private WhatsApp messages between the prime minister and Lord Brownlow.
They reveal that three months before Mr Johnson claimed he had first found out about how the payments were being made, he was in fact asking the Tory donor – who was setting up a blind trust – for more cash to pay for the refurbishment.
This appears at odds with what he told Lord Geidt, the independent adviser on ministerial interests, who cleared the PM of any wrongdoing earlier this year.
Contrary to his previous account, these messages show that in November 2020 the prime minister knew about the structure of where the cash was coming from.
Lord Brownlow told the PM on that occasion that he knew where the money was coming from, but the Electoral Commission reveals that it was not until the following day that he told a different unnamed Tory official that he personally was the source of those funds
Opposition politicians will no doubt use this to raise questions over the effectiveness of internal probes, and also Mr Johnson’s relationship with the truth.
What is so remarkable about this donation story is that it concerns money that benefits Mr Johnson directly – because it paid for his personal living accommodation, bills he would otherwise have had to meet himself. That makes it all the more awkward.
The Electoral Commission report says Lord Brownlow paid the firms who carried out the refurb directly, although there is no evidence he told the prime minister he was personally funding the blind trust he chaired.
Mr Johnson’s wife, Carrie Johnson, is understood to have chosen £850-a-roll gold wallpaper by top designer Lulu Lytle, who co-founded exclusive decorating company Soane Britain.
A Cabinet Office report published in July said nearly all of the £30,000 annual allowance for refurbishing the Downing Street flat was spent on painting and sanding floorboards alone. Anything over that amount must be paid for by the PM.
The investigation found decisions relating to the handling and recording of a donation by Huntswood “reflected serious failings in the party’s compliance systems”.
The party’s fine is nearly the maximum allowed amount, which is £20,000.
Lord Brownlow, who rubs shoulders with royalty, has donated close to £3m over the past six years – both personally and through his business, records show.
Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, welcomed the fine and said the report added to a litany of “sleaze” that is “corroding the office of prime minister”.
“It is one rule for them, and one rule for the rest of us, and Boris Johnson is at the heart of it,” she said.
Ms Rayner called for a fresh investigation from Lord Geidt and for Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone to investigate Mr Johnson.
Image:Lord Brownlow was given a place in the House of Lords by Theresa May
The commission found the party failed to report the full value of a donation of £67,801.72 from Huntswood in October 2020, with £52,801.72 connected to the costs of the refurbishment.
It also found the reference in the party’s financial records to the payment of £52,801.72 that was made by the party for the refurbishment “was not accurate”.
The fine for failing to accurately report the full value of the donation is £16,250 and for contravening the requirement to keep proper accounting records the party has been fined £1,550.
A “violent and manipulative” man who tied up a woman and raped her several times has been jailed.
Abdiraxman Abdellahi attacked his victim at her Leicester home in November 2020 and March this year.
The 24-year-old, of Brogue Street, Leicester, also assaulted the same woman in January.
He was found guilty of four counts of rape, assault by penetration and false imprisonment at Leicester Crown Court, and jailed for 18 years.
Abdellahi, who admitted one count of causing actual harm, will also serve an extended license period of eight years and was given a lifetime restraining order against his victim.
"Incredibly traumatic"
Leicestershire Police said the first rape took place at the victim at her home in November 2020.
Four months later he visited her home again and during the evening he raped her several times and stopped her from leaving the property.
Abdellahi tied up her hands and refused to let her get dressed.
Det Con Kerry Willden said: “This was an incredibly traumatic attack on the victim – the defendant was both violent and manipulative.
“The victim was extremely brave to come forward and report what had happened to her.
“She has been courageous throughout the investigation and court proceedings. This was in no way easy for her.”
Ladies without plastic - Key to reduce our carbon footprints
The first edition of our challenge -Ladies Without Plastic - Mulher sem plastico, came to an end. This is the first and only climate change show in Angola where women and girls are challenged to switch from disposable menstrual pads to reusable ones in favor of the environment.
Project presentation
As prepared for delivery
Good evening, everyone, and thank you for always being here with us!
My name is Sofonie Dala, I'm pleased to be celebrating with all of you the successful completion of our Women Without Plastic – Green Menstruation Campaign!
The main objective of this movement is to help end period poverty in Angola by empowering women and girls in making reusable pads. We advocate for behavioural change to reduce earth vulnerability to climate change and global warming from disposable sanitary pads, at the same time mobilizing women and girls to switch back to the use of reusable sanitary pads and napkins than disposable sanitary pads that have local ecosystem vulnerable to climate change and global warming.
Creative innovation - Sewing reusable sanitary pads to boost income
We conquered Vanessa, she is one of the local women taking part in our campaign to create eco-friendly, reusable cloth pads. We will be sewing several fabric and organic cotton sanitary pads a day on her machine and distribute them at national level.
Moreover, we started supporting communities with a life-changing skill and helping to protect the environment at the same time.
We provide interactive training in how to make safe, washable and reusable sanitary pads, so people always have access to safe menstrual protection, can help protect the environment, and can create a small income for themselves and their families by selling their extra products at the market.
Interview with Catiana Lueji - Environmental Engineer
Our today's guest is Catiana Lueji, she is an environmental engineer and expert at RNT Angola.
Catiana is a 27 years old environmental engineer and works hard to protect the environment. Some time ago when she became aware that disposable absorbents pollute the environment, she stopped using them immediately and opted to use silicone menstrual cups.
According to her, plastic absorbents have been causing a lot of damage and pollution in the environment, so she recommends women to look for other alternatives such as menstrual cups and washable absorbents as a solution to this problem, which is also more economical and sustainable.
She also explained that women should not be afraid of these objects because the menstrual cup is made of silicone and not plastic, it does not change the size of the vagina and does not cause urinary infection and can last up to 15 years when properly treated.
How to use:
The menstrual cup is one product that’s been gaining in popularity. Usually made of medical-grade silicone and last 10 years leaving very little waste, menstrual cups are inserted into the vagina, where they collect blood during menstruation.They are also safe and easy-to-use, as they can be sterilised using boiling water.
Campaign Report
Plastic pollution is a serious problem and not one that should be treated lightly. Disposable pads and tampons create a lot of waste that goes to the landfill. Much of it is non-biodegradable. They also create pollution of the land and water from the cotton growing process, as well as the manufacturing process. Safe, affordable menstrual products are essential for anyone who menstruates. But around the world, millions of women, girls and people who menstruate can’t afford to buy or don’t have reliable access to the safe menstrual products they need.
With an estimated 200 million adolescent girls living on the frontlines of the climate crises, the link between girls´ education and climate change deserves urgent attention.
In this challenge we explored the powerful role that girls education can play in tackling climate change. Our campaign ended up collecting several stories from girls and women. We conducted in-depth interviews with girls and women aged 12 to 35 years old to explore the acceptability of reusable menstrual products interventions in our communities and aslo to explore implementation issues and their views regarding the effect of menstrual products interventions on the environment.
Common menstrual products being promoted in Angola include commercially made disposable pads and menstrual cups. This large-scale plastic production releases vast amounts of greenhouse gases, which cause air pollution and global warming.
Unfortunately, we have never seen in supermarkets, nor in traditional and digital media promoting or selling washable pads.
According to our research, overall, adult women preferred reusable pads and young girls preferred disposable pads. Most girls highlighted that they are not prepared to use reusable pads simply because they do not want to have contact with menstrual blood and others because they do not want to wash it because they are too lazy to do this several times.
Angola is a country where most women live in extreme poverty. Many women and girls face several challenges including affordability, poor disposal methods, lack of attention on sanitation facilities, lack of equal access to education and the lack of knowledge about the negative impact of human actions on the environment. 70% of the girls interviewed knew nothing about climate change and the damage that their plastic pads have been causing to our environment, others simply never heard about other sustainable alternatives like reusable pads and silicone menstrual cups.
We also talked to some girls who are close to their 15 years old and are still not menstruating, the symptoms they show are similar to the symptom of amenorrhea. Incredibly they are not concerned about contacting a doctor, according to them late menstruation is hereditary because in general, girls in their family start menstruating when they are 16 or 18 years old.
Angola is currently facing the worst drought emergency in the last 38 years as a result of climate change. The effects of the drought include: shortages of food, lack of potable water, cattle dying from disease and malnourished children (among other things).
Angola also has been struggling to manage municipal waste: the capital Luanda alone produces 6,000 tons of solid waste every day, which the city has struggled to manage. Meanwhile, storm runoffs and sewer overflows, mean that a lot of waste ends up in the ocean. At the same time, waste from the oil and gas sector and other industrial activities may pose a serious environmental concern.
Luanda is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola’s primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban center. Located on Angola’s northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola’s administrative center, its chief seaport, and also the capital of the Luanda Province.
We strongly recommend women and girls switch to reusable feminine hygiene products. By reusables, I mean a menstrual cup, reusable cloth menstrual pad, or a pair of period panties.
The end of the campaign is not the end of the movement, thanks to all of you who believes and supports our work, we hope to see you soon!
Here’s a glimpse of what living without plastic in order to reduce climate change looks like for women and girls in Angola.
Please click the link below to watch all the series, from 1 to 14:
One in 10 girls in Africa miss school because they don’t have access to sanitary products, or because there aren’t safe, private toilets to use at school.
There is no doubt that our initiative will help keep girls in school and create a future for themsleves.
“Pads are used when money is available and pieces of cloths or blanket are used when there is no money”.
