‘Friends can buy influence’: Businessman who lent Boris Johnson his £9.5 million flat given job as government adviser – Thomas Colson (Business Insider) / July 24 2019
Labour accuse Boris Johnson of acting ‘only in the interest of the wealthy elite’ after he gave a government job to a businessman who lent him his £9.5 million flat
LONDON — Boris Johnson has been accused by opponents of allowing friends to “buy influence” after a business executive who loaned the incoming prime minister his lavish £9.5 million home was offered a job in Johnson’s new administration.
Andrew Griffith has stepped down from his role as chief financial officer at broadcasting giant Sky to work as a “corporate adviser” to Johnson.
It came after Johnson and his campaign team were handed Griffith’s lavish Westminster property for the past few weeks as he fought Jeremy Hunt in the Conservative leadership contest, according to a Guardian report.
Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett said: “Before he is even appointed Prime Minister, one of Boris Johnson’s first acts is to dish out a powerful job in Number 10 to his super-rich pal who lent him his luxurious house in Westminster for the Tory leadership campaign.”
“The public would be forgiven for coming to the conclusion that Johnson’s friends can buy influence within the new administration.”
“It’s blindingly obvious — Boris Johnson and his government will act only in the interest of the wealthy elite.”
Johnson previously worked from the flat belonging to his partner Carrie Symonds located in Camberwell, south London. But the pair were forced to move out of the flat after police were called to the property following a row from the pair, which drew protests outside.
The couple have been living in Oxfordshire but Johnson’s sizeable campaign team reportedly needed a property near Westminster from which they could operate.
Griffith is a former Conservative election candidate who worked at Sky for twenty years, before standing down.
Chief executive Jeremy Darroch told Sky News: “Over the course of his twenty years at Sky and since 2008 as a member of the Board as CFO (chief financial officer) and then as chief operating officer, Andrew has played a fundamental role in many of our proudest collective achievements.”
“Whilst Andrew will be missed, he leaves behind a business that is performing well, has an ambitious set of growth plans and a strong team of colleagues,” he said.
Johnson will formally become prime minister this afternoon after Theresa May travels to Buckingham Palace to offer her resignation.
The incoming prime minister will then meet with the Queen and tell her he is able to form a government.
Afterwards he is expected to make a speech on the steps of Downing Street and make key appointments to his Cabinet.
Sajid Javid, Liz Truss, and Matt Hancock are thought to be battling it out to become Chancellor. Javid arrived with Johnson at the 1922 meeting of Tory MPs yesterday in a sign that he could be the favourite.
Former International Development Secretary Priti Patel has reportedly been lined up as Home Secretary.
Johnson reportedly offered Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt — who was placed second to Johnson in the contest to replace Theresa May — the role of Defence Secretary, but Hunt refused the offer.
