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Boris Johnson has accused his predecessor of leaving Number 10 Downing Street looking “like a crack den” after she resigned as prime minister.
Theresa May stepped down as PM in July 2019 and was replaced by her former foreign secretary, Mr Johnson, who moved into Downing Street with his spouse Carrie Johnson shortly after.
The pair brought in high-end designer Lulu Lytle to refurbish the property at a cost of at least £112,000, which far exceeded the £30,000 annual grant funded by the taxpayer.
The funding of the refurb became particularly controversial when it was disclosed that Conservative donor David Brownlow helped cover the costs.
Media reports at the time said the then-PM’s spouse Carrie Johnson had slammed the “John Lewis furniture nightmare” they inherited from Johnson’s predecessor.
When pressed on a reported total bill of £200,000 for the works, Johnson told LBC host Nick Ferrari that he didn’t recognize that figure. “It wasn’t as much as that,” he said.
“The whole thing looked like a crack den to be totally honest with you,” Johnson told LBC. “It needed to be refurbished.”
Johnson’s book, out this week, has already raised eyebrows in Westminster for its candid revelations, including details of the late Queen Elizabeth II‘s health in her final years; a suggestion Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu bugged his bathroom; and the claim of a one-to-one pep talk with Prince Harry trying to dissuade the royal from leaving Britain.
