The British Parliament has opened an investigation into a vacation from Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
According to British media, he spent a week and a half in a luxury villa on the island of Mustique, which belongs to the Grenadines archipelago, at the end of 2019.
Independent parliament regulator Kathryn Stone confirmed on Monday that she is investigating whether the parliamentary code of conduct has been violated. Johnson had given up the vacation with his partner Carrie Symonds as a gift worth £ 15,000 from businessman David Ross, financially supporting the Prime Minister’s Conservative Party.
Ross had first contradicted paying for the vacation. He stated that he also does not own the villa where the couple were staying. The businessman later nuanced that statement. He said through a spokesman that he has “facilitated” the holiday and that the prime minister has not lied.
According to The Independent, it is the first time that the parliamentary supervisor has started such an investigation into a sitting prime minister. Earlier this year, the Election Commission had already launched an investigation into Johnson. That revolves around the question of who paid for the renovation of his official residence.
The opposition is demanding clarification about the prime minister’s vacation. “The people have a right to know who paid for this luxury Caribbean vacation and the renovation of Boris Johnson’s condo,” said Angela Rayner of the left-wing Labor Party. “It is essential to hear what these donors have been promised or what they expect in return for their generosity.”