London Mayor election postponement should hasten Johnson/Arcuri report
Johnson and Arcuri: now there’s no reason for the IOPC to delay its report on their relationship.
The government has postponed a string of local elections – including the London Mayoral poll, removing a barrier to publication of the report on Boris Johnson’s relationship with Jennifer Arcuri.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating a £10,000 grant given to Arcuri, who was friends with Johnson, by mayoral organisation London & Partners in 2013, and examining whether Arcuri’s admission to City Hall trade missions was reasonable.
It had announced that it would be unable to publish its report until after the purdah period for the London Mayoral elections begins on March 23, in which case it would not be able to release them until after the election on May 7.
But with the announcement that there will not be an election this year, there is now no barrier to the IOPC publishing its report as soon as it is ready.
Not only that, but the postponement of the elections for a year makes it more likely that investigations by the London Assembly and the London Mayor will also take place and be published later this year; if the elections had taken place resulting in a change of Mayor and a change of the political majority in the Assembly, then they could have been cancelled.
And the fact that the elections are being delayed for a year, rather than the six months suggested by the Electoral Commission, means these investigations may be concluded – and reports published – soon.
The result could be extremely embarrassing for Boris Johnson – and gives us all something to look forward to. Or will the IOPC find another excuse for a delay?
Source: Coronavirus: English local elections postponed for a year – BBC News
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