In November 2020, the prime minister approached Lord Brownlow by WhatsApp message to approve payments to the interior designer carrying out the work. The work of interior designer Lulu Lytle (pictured) was Carrie Symonds' inspiration for the refurbishment of the Downing Street apartment, according to Tatler Guy Bell/Shutterstock On. But what the Blairs and Camerons did spend beyond the 30,000 allowance was paid out of their own pockets. The comments below have not been moderated. And here's how Number 11 looked as a residence for chancellors in the 1980s and 90s before the Blairs moved in Norman Lamont poses in 1991 in the sitting room of the Number 11 Downing Street flat when it was occupied by the chancellor, Chancellor Nigel Lawson celebrates his birthday with wife Therese and children Emily, 6, and Tom, 11, at the No 11 flat in 1988, Boris Johnson's secret fund for Carrie Symonds' No.10 makeover: Prime Minister plans new charity backed by rich donors to help pay for lavish revamp of private Downing Street flat. He is said to have commented there was 'no way' he could pay for it after being informed by the Cabinet Office that the maximum taxpayer contribution was 'around 30,000'. Reports suggest the Downing. Lord Geidt's report in May had concluded that Mr Johnson did not break the ministerial code over the funding of the renovations. Hotels near Market Square, Cambridge on Tripadvisor: Find traveller reviews, 24,855 candid photos, and prices for 254 hotels near Market Square in Cambridge, England. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Mrs Lytle worked in antiques for four years, before starting Soane when she was 25, originally from the couple's one-bedroom flat in Notting Hill, west London. Johnson and Symonds won't be the first Downing Street couple to splash out on a Number 11 refurb. The Daily Mail writes that the sum was to cover an identical amount secretly paid months earlier by Tory HQ for the refurbishment, including expensive wallpaper - in an attempt to disguise it. The couple are pictured together at Number 10 in December last year. It is classic, stunning, stylish and chic. Like several of his recent predecessors, Mr Johnson and Ms Symonds are living at No 11 because the four-bedroom flat there is much larger than the one above No 10. It mixes old and new Soane pieces, along with textiles collected worldwide, paintings, maps and artefacts. 'I won't sleep in Ken Clarke's bed,' Mr Blair declared of the Conservative chancellor, the most recent tenant, when he became prime minister and opted for the four-bedroom No 11 flat which was bigger than the one at No 10. Her plan was clear and has never changed to create beautifully made contemporary furniture based on antiques. Here is a rundown of how the flat at No 11 has changed over the years as successive prime ministers moved in: Samantha Cameron speaks with then First Lady Michelle Obama before having tea at Number 11 Downing Street in May 2011, which she redesigned after moving in there with her husband David Cameron following his elected as prime minister in 2010. runs the risk of claims of conflict of interest if it is seen as a back-door way of providing a financial benefit to the PM. On another occasion he said it was 'over a hundred grand'. Gordon Brown and his wife, Sarah, kept the Blair's kitchen - described by a friend as "fine for Gordon and Sarah and her homely cooking", although "a bit old-fashioned". It concluded the donation was not declared properly and fined the party 17,000. If that is the case, that is corruption," the party said. Prince Charles visited her rattan workshop last year and her fabrics start at 100 a metre. "I won't sleep in Ken Clarke's bed," Mr Blair said of the outgoing Tory chancellor when he became PM in 1997. When Mr Blair became prime minister he opted for the four-bedroom No 11 flat instead of the smaller one at No 10, and he and his wife spent 127,000 on refurbishments between 1999 and 2005, including 3,500 on a bed. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. Play it now! Alix Culbertson Further questions have been asked about the funding of home improvements at the prime minister's Downing Street flat, following the release of an exchange of letters with his standards adviser. Friends have called her taste exquisite and she has reportedly spent the last year hand-restoring vintage furniture to replace the dark wooden furniture that was there before. The row over how Boris Johnson has funded the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat has placed a spotlight on one of the UK's most famous apartments. With all the basics like the kitchen, bathrooms and carpets needing minimal updates, 100,000 could be seen as quite a sum. An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. So why did Johnson and his fiance need to embark on such a big project just months after his expensive divorce and when they only have one child together? Walls are adorned with paintings by the Prime Minister, who said to be a surprisingly good artist, and handprints by baby son Wilfred, along with pieces by Mr Johnson's mother, Charlotte. The internal probe comes after claims the PM solicited donations from . Mrs Lytle, who is married to Goldman Sachs banker Charles Patrick St John Lytle, also likes using eco-friendly materials - something close to Ms Symonds' heart. Lord Brownlow was asked in May 2020 to set up a Downing Street trust that would fund renovations to the flat above 11 Downing Street, but that trust was never established. Find a for sale flats in East London, London on Gumtree, the #1 site for Residential Property For Sale classifieds ads in the UK. Read our, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}. Given the content of Johnsons messages with Brownlow only became public in January 2022, Labour is calling for the police to investigate Johnson and why he asked Brownlow to approve more redecorating funds in the same message as he promised to look at a project known as the great exhibition 2. The Electoral Commission found in December 2021 that the subsequent 52,000 payment from Huntswood Associates Ltd, whose director is Lord Brownlow, had not been properly recorded and that it should not have been described as a loan or as part of a trust. The financing of the 2020 refurbishment of the flat above 11 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, became the subject of a controversy in 2021 when allegations were made in the press as to whether an undisclosed loan was used initially to help finance it. Read about our approach to external linking. George Bush's spouse Barbara handed oversight of the trust to the White House Historical Association. Read about our approach to external linking. Lord Brownlow met Oliver Dowden, who was then culture secretary, to discuss the event six weeks after the text exchange with the prime minister, according to the meeting log. "It is classic, stunning, stylish and chic. But it said that separate payments of almost 60,000 for the refurbishments made by Lord Brownlow directly to suppliers, did not need to be declared. Ted Cruz accuses AG Merrick Garland of ignoring threats to Supreme Court justices and crisis pregnancy centers in VERY heated Senate exchange, Psychologist reveals the most common phrases that NARCISSISTS use to manipulate you during EVERY stage of a relationship, New York City man, 43, is arrested after hijacking American Airlines BUS from JFK Airport then taking it on a 17-mile joyride through Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan before being caught, Rolling with the punches! It is classic, stunning, stylish and chic. Another question centres on how Johnson ultimately paid 112,549 direct to the supplier of the renovations, before the supplier returned the funds from Brownlow and the Cabinet Office. This is the exchange of messages between Mr Johnson and Lord Brownlow: At the end of his message, Mr Johnson refers to the "great exhibition plan", which was a proposal for a cultural festival, which Lord Brownlow was involved with as a trustee of London's Albert Hall. The prime minister lives above No 11 Downing Street, Carrie Symonds is said to be leading the refurb of No 11, The original plans for the flats above No 10 and No 11 (top) Downing Street. Showing results for Steel Fabrication / Structural steelwork in Guildford page 9 (80-90) 'Carrie has exquisite taste. And the Browns appear to have been perfectly content with the property, because there are no records that he spent a penny on upgrades. The Cabinet Office leak will revive the long-running controversy over the Johnsons' refurbishment of their flat above No11. An estimate of 208,104 was sent to the Cabinet Office - which has an annual budget of 30,000 for renovating the Prime Minister's residence - at the start of 2020 in the early stages of the project, the Independent reports. Prime ministers have an annual allowance of up to 30,000 of taxpayer's money to contribute to costs of maintaining and furnishing the four-bedroom flat, which is grade one listed. The FULL Downing Street flat refurbishment estimate REVEALED: A 7,000 rug, a 3,675 drinks trolley and just 4,575 on the wallpaper out of a 200,000 total Boris Johnson's Downing. This account already exists. The exact square footage of No11 is unknown but given the average size of a UK four-bedroom residence is 140 square metres, wallpapering the flat with Lytles fabrics could cost upwards of 14,000 at a minimum. Their annual average spend of taxpayer's money was nearly half that of both the Blairs and the Browns. But the source of the funding became the biggest controversy. But the work cost considerably more than that - at least 112,000 based on the amount we know Lord Brownlow contributed. They said the most practical and ethical way to secure extra financial help to pay for the refurbishment was by establishing a new charitable fund. ', However, commission sources told the Daily Mail: 'A routine check of their accounts in November raised a number of red flags, and these concerns are now being looked at. The concern is that if a financial gift is kept secret, it might be used to gain favours or political influence. She met her husband Charles Patrick St John Lytle, known as Charlie, when he was training as a barrister. The charity is also shelling out large sums of money to Mr Aspinall's wife Victoria. ', Gordon Brown is pictured in the kitchen of the Number 11 Downing Street flat in October 2008, after moving in a year earlier, Number 11 Downing Street is pictured in 2009, at the time when Gordon Brown was living in the four-bedroom flat upstairs, The staircase leading from the ground floor of Number 11 Downing Street to the living quarters is pictured in 2009, The boardroom at Number 11 Downing Street is pictured in 2009, when Gordon Brown was living in the four-bedroom flat, Chancellor Alistair Darling has breakfast with his wife Margaret (centre) and Ann Coffey (left), his private secretary, in a different section of 11 Downing Street in April 2009. They added:'It's very plain and bare. He reportedly said during one meeting that the sum amounted to 'tens and tens of thousands'. The Prime Minister and his fiance Carrie Symonds moved into No11 last year and spent lockdown giving the place a major makeover. 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