Tory ministers are under mounting pressure to release full details of a meeting linked to Boris Johnson ’s luxury flat refurbishment.
Ministers are resisting the release of documents related to a meeting about plans for a new ‘Great Exhibition’ between then-Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, refurb-bankroller Lord Brownlow and the Royal Albert Hall last January.
The meeting came just months after the Prime Minister promised to look into the project - in the same text message as he begged for more cash to revamp his Downing Street apartment.
Police are now considering whether Mr Johnson had broken anti-bribery laws with the text messages.
Now it’s been revealed Mr Dowden accepted free tickets to the Royal Albert Hall a few months after the meeting.
The then-Culture Secretary accepted two tickets to a 150th Birthday Concert featuring new music by Bond composer David Arnold at the London concert venue, last July.
Lord Brownlow is a trustee of the Royal Albert Hall Trust and an ambassador of the hall's 150th anniversary.
Lib Dem Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain has written to Mr Dowden to demand the government reveal what was discussed in the January meeting.
She said: “Not only did Lord Brownlow help the Prime Minister magic up the cash to redo his flat, he also seemingly bought himself a key meeting with a cabinet minister to discuss his own pet project.”
She added: “We deserve the truth and need to know exactly what was discussed in these meetings. Oliver Dowden must come clean and release the full details of this meeting. If he refuses then it begs the question, what does he not want us to know about the nature of his relationship with Lord Brownlow?"
The Sunday Mirror has been seeking the release of documents relating to the ‘Great Exhibition’ meeting under the Freedom of Information Act.
But the Government has failed to acknowledge the request - and it is now more than a week over the legal deadline for disclosure.
Solicitors for the Labour Party wrote to Scotland Yard last week, suggesting the force was “duty-bound” to begin a formal investigation, because there was a “reasonable suspicion” that the law had been broken.
The Met confirmed they had received the letter which was being considered by officers from its Central Specialist Crime Command.
There’s no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Lord Brownlow.
Labour's lawyers said the PM may have acted improperly by having “linked” the request for funds to cover the refurb with a promise to “promote a project” backed by the benefactor.
In response to the solicitors’ letter, a Met spokesman said: "A letter was received and acknowledged on Friday February 4. It is being considered by officers from the Met's Central Specialist Crime Command. No investigation has been opened."
But Number 10 dismissed the accusations as “categorically untrue and a clear misrepresentation of the facts.”
They added: “Lord Brownlow, separate to his work for the emerging Downing Street Trust, put proposals (for a great exhibition) from the Royal Albert Hall, the national institution and charity, to the Prime Minister.
"This was passed to the lead department, DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport). It is a matter of public record that no project was taken forward by the Government."
A government spokesperson said last night: “Former Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden met with Lord Brownlow and the Royal Albert Hall on the joint proposal for a Great Exhibition, which was declared in DCMS’ regular transparency returns.
“It is usual practice for all Prime Ministers and Ministers to have proposals put to them at various points and Ministers also meet stakeholders regularly as part of their engagement on an array of issues.
“In line with normal practice this idea was referred to the relevant department, considered and ultimately not taken forward by the Government.”
