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| Boris Johnson failed to disclose meetings with Jennifer Arcuri in diary | Boris Johnson failed to disclose meetings with Jennifer Arcuri in diary |
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| Boris Johnson failed to publicly disclose the full extent of his links with his close friend Jennifer Arcuri in his official diary of appointments and activities as mayor of London, the Guardian can reveal. | Boris Johnson failed to publicly disclose the full extent of his links with his close friend Jennifer Arcuri in his official diary of appointments and activities as mayor of London, the Guardian can reveal. |
| The mayoral diary, released under freedom of information laws, provides a detailed list of thousands of Johnson’s meetings and engagements, from summits with world leaders to mundane listings such as “tea with a tourist”. | The mayoral diary, released under freedom of information laws, provides a detailed list of thousands of Johnson’s meetings and engagements, from summits with world leaders to mundane listings such as “tea with a tourist”. |
| But in the hundreds of pages of appointments, the diaries contain no public reference to Arcuri, the businesswoman at the centre of a conflict of interest allegation after her firm received thousands of pounds of public money while Johnson was mayor. | But in the hundreds of pages of appointments, the diaries contain no public reference to Arcuri, the businesswoman at the centre of a conflict of interest allegation after her firm received thousands of pounds of public money while Johnson was mayor. |
| Arcuri claims she shared a “very close bond” with Johnson and in her first broadcast interview on Monday said that the two held between five and 10 meetings in her flat. But none were publicly listed by the then mayor. | Arcuri claims she shared a “very close bond” with Johnson and in her first broadcast interview on Monday said that the two held between five and 10 meetings in her flat. But none were publicly listed by the then mayor. |
| More than 1,300 entries are redacted, citing an exemption for personal information – suggesting Johnson’s liaisons with the businesswoman may have been concealed from public view. | More than 1,300 entries are redacted, citing an exemption for personal information – suggesting Johnson’s liaisons with the businesswoman may have been concealed from public view. |
| It comes after Arcuri gave a lengthy interview with ITV in which she failed to deny an affair with Johnson but sought to portray his visits to her flat, which she operated as an office, as business meetings. “I think it was normal that he came to my office like many other tech professionals, government officials did,” she said. | It comes after Arcuri gave a lengthy interview with ITV in which she failed to deny an affair with Johnson but sought to portray his visits to her flat, which she operated as an office, as business meetings. “I think it was normal that he came to my office like many other tech professionals, government officials did,” she said. |
| The news came as Johnson missed the London Assembly oversight committee’s 6pm deadline to explain his links to Arcuri. A spokesperson for the prime minister said that he would respond on Tuesday evening. | |
| The mayoral diary only explicitly references Arcuri’s Innotech company twice, despite him speaking at four of the firm’s events. The diary lists an Innotech event in Canary Wharf in April 2013 and another at the Bafta building in Piccadilly in October 2014. | |
| But it omits the Innotech launch event in 2012 at Hult Business School, where Arcuri studied for an MBA, when Johnson pledged to do everything in his power to help the new tech sector flourish in London. | But it omits the Innotech launch event in 2012 at Hult Business School, where Arcuri studied for an MBA, when Johnson pledged to do everything in his power to help the new tech sector flourish in London. |
| His appointments for 30 October 2014 records a “Pop in to Google Hangout” but does not mention that Arcuri and her Innotech company were hosting the event. During his appearance, Johnson was filmed telling Arcuri: “I’m always happy to hang out at Innotech.” | |
| On 28 February 2013 Arcuri told Johnson’s communications director, Will Walden, that she “spoke to the man last night” when she appeared to be trying to book the mayor to speak at one of her conferences. | On 28 February 2013 Arcuri told Johnson’s communications director, Will Walden, that she “spoke to the man last night” when she appeared to be trying to book the mayor to speak at one of her conferences. |
| Johnson’s diary for 27 February 2013 lists eight appointments but the last two on that day are redacted because they relate to personal information about the mayor. They are two of more than 1,300 redactions under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act, which allows for an exemption of the release of personal data. | Johnson’s diary for 27 February 2013 lists eight appointments but the last two on that day are redacted because they relate to personal information about the mayor. They are two of more than 1,300 redactions under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act, which allows for an exemption of the release of personal data. |
| On Monday, Arcuri told ITV that she met Johnson up to 10 times in her Shoreditch flat and on other occasions in public bars and cafes. | On Monday, Arcuri told ITV that she met Johnson up to 10 times in her Shoreditch flat and on other occasions in public bars and cafes. |
| She denied that Johnson, or his officials, exercised any favouritism towards her in the awarding of public money and access to trade trips during his time as mayor. | She denied that Johnson, or his officials, exercised any favouritism towards her in the awarding of public money and access to trade trips during his time as mayor. |
| She refused to state whether she was having an affair with Johnson and suggested he visited her because he wanted to learn about technology. “He really wanted to understand more about what was happening in California and what tips we could learn from the west coast,” she said. | She refused to state whether she was having an affair with Johnson and suggested he visited her because he wanted to learn about technology. “He really wanted to understand more about what was happening in California and what tips we could learn from the west coast,” she said. |
| So detailed are parts of the diary – entries include departures on bicycle rides around London, as well as “chats” with various people – that the failure to disclose meetings with Arcuri raises further questions. The diary contains no mention of “technology lessons”, which Arcuri reportedly told a friend she was giving to Johnson in her flat. | So detailed are parts of the diary – entries include departures on bicycle rides around London, as well as “chats” with various people – that the failure to disclose meetings with Arcuri raises further questions. The diary contains no mention of “technology lessons”, which Arcuri reportedly told a friend she was giving to Johnson in her flat. |
| By contrast, Johnson’s diary includes other meetings with key technology players, including a 2014 meeting with Joanna Shields, the then chairman of Tech City – a job Arcuri unsuccessfully applied for, reportedly using Johnson as a reference. Arcuri denied that he had written her a letter in the ITV interview. | By contrast, Johnson’s diary includes other meetings with key technology players, including a 2014 meeting with Joanna Shields, the then chairman of Tech City – a job Arcuri unsuccessfully applied for, reportedly using Johnson as a reference. Arcuri denied that he had written her a letter in the ITV interview. |
| The diary is also littered with meetings Johnson held with London & Partners (L&P), the mayor’s promotional agency, which granted Arcuri’s business £11,500 while the prime minister was in City Hall. The diary includes 12 meetings with Gordon Innes, L&P’s chief executive. | The diary is also littered with meetings Johnson held with London & Partners (L&P), the mayor’s promotional agency, which granted Arcuri’s business £11,500 while the prime minister was in City Hall. The diary includes 12 meetings with Gordon Innes, L&P’s chief executive. |
| In total, Arcuri’s companies were granted more than £126,000 in public money, including £100,000 from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which is now subject to an investigation over whether the firm was eligible. | In total, Arcuri’s companies were granted more than £126,000 in public money, including £100,000 from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which is now subject to an investigation over whether the firm was eligible. |
| In 2012, Johnson was ordered by the information commissioner to publish a fuller version of his official diary after previously failing to disclose conversations with News International executives at the height of the phone-hacking scandal. | In 2012, Johnson was ordered by the information commissioner to publish a fuller version of his official diary after previously failing to disclose conversations with News International executives at the height of the phone-hacking scandal. |
| Downing Street declined to answer why Johnson’s meetings with Arcuri were not listed in his diary, referring the Guardian to his interview last month in which he claimed “everything was done in accordance with the [Greater London Authority’s] code [of conduct]. Everything was done with full propriety.” | Downing Street declined to answer why Johnson’s meetings with Arcuri were not listed in his diary, referring the Guardian to his interview last month in which he claimed “everything was done in accordance with the [Greater London Authority’s] code [of conduct]. Everything was done with full propriety.” |
| In addition, No 10 refused to clarify whether any of Johnson’s meetings with Arcuri were among those redacted. Johnson has insisted he had no interest to declare over Arcuri and his register of interests includes no reference to her or her companies. | |
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