'War of words between Downing Street and Cummings could explode at any moment'
28 April 2021, 07:30
Downing Street-Cummings war of words could explode for PM
Former Labour Party Communications Director Lance Price warns the 'war of words' between Number 10 and Dominic Cummings is a 'powder keg' which could 'explode at any moment'.
The conversation comes after Labour called for an investigation into how Boris Johnson's refurbishments of his Downing Street flat were financed to be expanded to investigate whether the public was misled over the renovations.
Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari the former Labor insider warned there was the "possibility of an avalanche of new allegations coming out."
He told LBC there were "hints in recent days that Dominic Cummings may have recordings that he made while he was working in Number 10."
Mr Price said if those recordings contained something which the public might not like then it could see more problems pile up for the PM.
He said "at the heart of it all" the issue was whether Mr Johnson could be trusted.
Nick Ferrari presses Secretary of State over Boris Johnson's flat
No 10 declined on Tuesday to deny suggestions that the Prime Minister received a loan from the Conservative Party to cover the initial costs, before repaying the party.
But that claim appears to run contrary to what Mr Johnson's then press secretary Allegra Stratton said last month when she denied any party funds were used for refurbishments.
After Mr Johnson was accused of lying by Labour, deputy leader Angela Rayner urged Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to expand his review to investigate the comments.
She urged him to probe "whether the former press secretary knowingly misled journalists and the public, or was misled herself by senior members of the Government who seem intent on a cover-up".
The Prime Minister was facing continued questions of how the works were paid for, after former aide Dominic Cummings said Mr Johnson wanted donors to "secretly pay" for the work in an "unethical, foolish, possibly illegal" move.
