Things are going from bad to worse for Boris Johnson. Today there are allegations of a conflict of interest with claims that his backers, the people supporting his leadership bid, are set to make serious money out of a no-deal Brexit. The Guardian (HERE) report that the shadow chancellor, John McDonnel, has written to the cabinet secretary to ask if there may be a conflict of interest in financial support from hedge funds like Odey Asset Management that are set to gain from any economic shock arising out of a no-deal Brexit, his flagship policy.
This was sparked by Phillip Hammond writing in The Times and repeating criticism from Boris Johnson's sister Rachel Johnson, that the leader "is backed by speculators who have bet
billions on a hard Brexit" and stand to make money from "a crash-out
no-deal Brexit that sends the currency tumbling and inflation soaring."
It looks like a clear conflict of interest to me but I assume he will deny it all and probably get away with it.
The usual excuse is that the minister or prime minister has such integrity that that sort of thing would never enter his or her head. Some people, John Major, David Cameron (already wealthy) perhaps or Gordon Brown might succeed. Most past PMs certainly would. But Johnson? He's known to be an amoral, completely dishonest fabricator of lies and reckless into the bargain so I think he will have a much harder job.
It won't be made any easier this morning by more revelations about Jennifer Arcuri who it is claimed, confided in friends that she and Johnson had an affair while he was mayor of London and she received special treatment in being invited on overseas trade missions that she wasn't really eligible for and getting around £126,000 in grants.
ITV report that:
"The claims come after the Greater London Authority (GLA) said its
monitoring officer had recorded a 'conduct matter' against Mr Johnson
over allegations Ms Arcuri received favourable treatment because of her
friendship with him while he was mayor of London.
"The Independent
Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is now considering whether there are
grounds to investigate the Prime Minister for the criminal offence of
misconduct in public office."
Johnson's problem is that this is hardly out of character for him. In fact it is entirely in keeping with what we know about a serial philanderer who has fathered numerous children and has boasted about his extra marital affairs. He is currently going through divorce proceedings from his wife of 25 years, Marina Wheeler.
One might even be shocked to learn that he didn't have an affair with Ms Arcuri.
The man who was handpicked by the Tory party to deliver Brexit is struggling to deliver anything at all with his minority government held hostage by the opposition, his sham negotiations and lack of any coherent policy and now investigations into his private life with potentially criminal consequences.
I note he is set to announce £13 billion to be spent on 40 new hospitals. This is either a joke or intended to deflect attention from his personal troubles. If investigators start to get close I presume we can all look forward to promises of eternal life, limitless energy and our very own pink eyed terminator to do all the housework and gardening.
Nothing is too much to save his skin after all. He's an OE and entitled to it.
