Who is interior designer Lulu Lytle and did she attend PM’s birthday?

The Soane Britain interior designer made headlines last year for decorating 11 Downing Street with gold wallpaper which reportedly cost £840 per roll

When was the Prime Minister’s birthday party - and did Lulu Lytle attend?

What was the ‘sleaze’ probe?

In May 2021, independent adviser on ministers’ interests Lord Geidt ruled that Mr Johnson had “unwisely” allowed the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat at No 11 to go ahead without “more rigorous regard for how this would be funded”.

There had been discussions about a Downing Street Trust being set up to pay for the work, which exceeded the annual public grant of up to £30,000 the Prime Minister can spend on renovations.

But this did not come to fruition, and a later Electoral Commission (EC) investigation found a total of £112,549.12 had been paid by Huntswood Associates – whose director is Lord Brownlow – to cover the work by luxury firm Soane Britain, which is owned by interior designer Lulu Lytle.

No 10 said describing the flat as a “tip” reflected “the fact that works were incomplete, refurbishment and renovation works were incomplete, at that point, which meant the further expenditure was necessary to complete them”.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister acknowledged that Mr Johnson got funding to decorate, and he said: “There is an annual grant for the Downing Street residences which allow for modernisation and upgrades, and ensuring that things work as they should.”

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