PM has ‘questions to answer’ over exhibition promises to Tory donor, says Labour

Labour has said the Prime Minister has “serious questions to answer” over promises to the Tory donor funding his flat refurbishment that he was “on” a plan to hold a Great Exhibition.

In WhatsApp messages exchanged between Boris Johnson and Lord Brownlow in November 2020, Mr Johnson asked the peer to approve further work on his No 11 Downing Street flat before telling him he was “on the great exhibition plan”, adding “will revert”.

Lord Brownlow thanked Mr Johnson for “thinking about” the event, and in records of ministerial meetings he was later present at a meeting including then-culture secretary Oliver Dowden and the Royal Albert Hall on January 18 2021.

No 10 insisted on Thursday afternoon that the idea for a Great Exhibition 2.0 “wasn’t taken forward, the Government’s instead taken forward the Festival UK in 2022”.

But Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “It appears that Lord Brownlow had access to the Prime Minister and Culture Secretary because he was paying for his luxury flat renovations.

“It is pretty unbelievable that Boris Johnson didn’t know who was paying for his luxury flat renovations.

“If so, that is corruption plain and simple. No-one should be able to buy access or exchange wallpaper for festivals. Boris Johnson has serious questions to answer.”

A spokesman for the Prime Minister could not give details on the difference between the Great Exhibition 2.0, which he insisted was “not taken forward”, and Festival UK, which is planned to go ahead.

Festival UK is also known as Unboxed, and previously Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg dubbed it the Festival Of Brexit.

It has been billed as an exposition of creativity and innovation.

The spokesman said: “Festival UK was confirmed in 2018 and planning started in early 2020.”

Reports from 2018 said the festival would be “a nationwide celebration inspired by the 1851 Great Exhibition”.