The American businesswoman at the centre of a conflict of interest row involving the prime minister confirmed she had a “very close bond” with Boris Johnson and refused to rule out claims they had an affair. Asked if she ever discussed the awarding of that money with Johnson, Arcuri said: “Categorically no.” She added: “Do you think I would waste his time talking about this stuff? She said she could not recall how many times Johnson visited her flat but suggested it was between five and 10 times. • The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, launched an independent review into how Arcuri was given sponsorship and access to trade trips led by Johnson when he was mayor. • The London assembly’s oversight committee has given Johnson until next week to explain his apparent conflicts of interest over Arcuri.

Source: The Guardian October 07, 2019 07:27 UTC