BORIS Johnson has been accused of “corruption, plain and simple” after his ethics adviser released damning text messages he exchanged with the Tory donor who funded the lavish renovation of a Downing Street flat.

The explosive messages show that despite telling his ethics tsar, Lord Christopher Geidt, that he had no idea how the revamp was being funded, Johnson had personally asked for more cash for the project months earlier.

In a report looking into the £112,000 refurbishment of the flat at No 11 Downing Street, Giedt said he had been assured that “at no point in the eight months until late February 2021, as media reports were emerging, was the Prime Minister made aware of either the fact or the method of the costs of refurbishing the apartment having been paid”.

However, the messages sent from Johnson to David Brownlow, a Tory peer and former vice-chair of the party, reveal that the Prime Minister knew exactly where the cash had come from in November 2020.

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In the messages, Johnson asks Brownlow to approve more funding for the flat renovation as it was “still a bit of a tip”. He finishes by saying that he is “on the great exhibition plan”.

The Tory peer replied that “approval is a doddle” as he knew where the cash was and the “Trust isn’t set up yet”, and thanked the Prime Minister for “thinking about GE2”.

This “Great Exhibition 2.0” was apparently a pet project of Brownlow’s, and he met with then culture secretary Oliver Dowden to discuss the idea in January 2021.

Number 10 denied any link between Brownlow funding Johnson’s flat revamp and the meeting with the Culture Secretary.

The Government insisted the “great exhibition” plan had not been taken forward, with an “Unboxed” Festival UK instead being chosen. However, a spokesperson was unable to explain the difference between the two.

Summarising the messages, former GB News chairman Andrew Neil said: “Can you slip us some more dosh for the expensive wallpaper? By the way, I’m right behind your pet project.

“If that’s not corruption, perhaps mild and low grade but corruption nevertheless, then what is?”

The messages were withheld from Geidt while he investigated if Johnson had broken any rules, but Brownlow gave them to the Electoral Commission for a different probe.

Johnson offered a "humble and sincere apology" for not releasing them to his ethics chief.

In a furious letter, Geidt (below) said the failure to let him see the messages showed "insufficient respect" and presented a "threat to public confidence" in his job.

The National:

The peer said his report into Johnson’s conduct would have been different if he’d known about the messages. However, he stopped short of saying he would have concluded that Johnson had broken any rules.

The Prime Minister claimed that he had not handed the messages over as he “did not see” them after changing phone.

Asked if he thought people would believe that excuse, Johnson said: “I followed the ministerial guidance at all times – and yes.”

During Geidt’s inquiry, Johnson’s office claimed the Prime Minister’s old phone was not accessible. He had been forced to change it after news broke that his number had been freely available on the internet for 15 years.

But Geidt revealed the phone was accessed for “another purpose” in June 2021 - after his report had been published. No 10 refused to explain why, citing “security” reasons.

The Tory government further argued that Johnson had known Brownlow was handling the funds, but not where they had come from.

In December, the Electoral Commission ruled the Conservative party broke the law in the way it attempted to fund the refurbishment. The verdict came with a £17,800 fine.

Commenting on the revelations, 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. 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.”

Green MP Caroline Lucas added: “Convenient that a man [Geidt] appointed by Boris Johnson clears Boris Johnson of lying by accepting the ridiculous excuse that the PM ‘did not recall’ asking to borrow a huge sum from a Tory peer for a flat re-decoration.”

Plaid Cymru MP Hywel Williams said it was a "farcical excuse". He added: "Lord Geidt may not have called the PM a liar but the people of Wales see him for what he is."