Boris Johnson is an ‘integrity vacuum’ who turned No.10 into a ‘cronyistic cabal’ says former Tory legal chief

Dominic Grieve says PM transformed Downing Street press office into a ‘lie machine’

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Boris Johnson is a "vacuum of integrity" who turned Downing Street into a "lie machine", a former senior Tory has said.

Dominic Grieve, who served as Conservative attorney general, accused the prime minister of leading a "cronyistic cabal" at the heart of government following claims about how he had managed No.10.

It comes after Mr Johnson's former chief advisor Dominic Cummings accused the PM of taking an "unethical", "foolish", and "possibly illegal" approach to engaging with Tory donors.

The dual controversy centres firstly around claims Mr Johnson had his financial backers put up money to refurbish his private apartment in Downing Street.

And controversy also swirls around allegations by Mr Cummings that the prime minister considered stopping a leak inquiry because he feared it would find his girlfriend's friend was behind it.

"There's been a constant wriggling about the source of the money for this refurbishment and that's just one illustration of the chaos that Mr Johnson seems to bring in his wake," Mr Grieve told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday morning.

"And the reason for that is because he is a vacuum of integrity, and this has been apparent for a very long time: apparent to my colleagues who I regret to say elected him or caused him to be elected as leader of the Conservative Party.

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve

"And if you have somebody who's a vacuum of integrity, you're going to get this sort of story coming up over and over again. And some people may say it doesn't matter, but I think in the context of trying to ensure good governance and people's faith in democratic institutions, it's really an extraordinary way to conduct oneself."

Mr Grieve added: "I have no particular respect for Mr Cummings: both Mr Cummings and Mr Johnson smeared me in September 2019 when they turned the number 10 Press Office into a sort of lie machine."

"I was a member of the Conservative Party for over 44 years I think. And I look at the political party which seems to me to be spiralling into something significantly different in terms of its integrity from anything I can ever remember."

Labour is calling on Boris Johnson to release all correspondence relating to donations to fund the proposed renovation. Shadow communities secretary Steve Reed on Saturday accused the PM of acting in the manner of a "tinpot dictatorship".