JOHN LEWIS appears to have poked fun at Boris Johnson as he faces questions about how home improvements at his Downing Street flat were funded.

The lavish and controversial refurbishment of the Downing Street flat was reportedly to replace the “John Lewis furniture nightmare” of Theresa May’s era.

The Department Store haven't stayed quiet about the row and appeared to jokingly mock Johnson in a social media post.

What is the row about?

Boris Johnson and his fiancee Carrie Symonds renovated their Downing Street flat- now official bodies have launched and investigation into the flat’s funding.

Some reports suggest the upgrades at No 11 hit the £200,000 mark, well above the £30,000 annual allowance prime ministers receive to renovate their Downing Street residency.

The body that monitors party spending said there were “reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence or offences may have occurred” during the financing of the revamp of the Prime Minister’s No 11 flat, with a formal investigation established to probe further.

“The investigation will determine whether any transactions relating to the works at 11 Downing Street fall within the regime regulated by the commission and whether such funding was reported as required,” a commission spokesman said.

Questions have been mounting since former aide Dominic Cummings accused Mr Johnson of wanting donors to “secretly pay” for the renovations to his No 11 residence in a “possibly illegal” move.

Reports have also suggested that the Conservative Party loaned the Prime Minister the money and that he is now repaying the party.

The Government said on Wednesday that the newly-appointed independent adviser on ministers’ interests Lord Geidt will look into the details of the renovations and “advise the Prime Minister on any further registration of interests that may be needed”.

Border Counties Advertizer: The Prime Minister and his fiancee Carrie Symonds have faced questions over the funding of their renovations to the 11 Downing Street flat (Victoria Jones/PA)The Prime Minister and his fiancee Carrie Symonds have faced questions over the funding of their renovations to the 11 Downing Street flat (Victoria Jones/PA)

Mr Johnson has continued to protest his innocence, telling the House of Commons on Wednesday he “paid for Downing Street refurbishment personally”.

According to the Mail, Mr Johnson told aides he could not afford the revamp of his living quarters as the costs started to spiral.

The newspaper reported that he had said the cost was “totally out of control” and that his fiancee Carrie Symonds was “buying gold wallpaper”.

When aides asked the Prime Minister how much the upgrades were costing, Mr Johnson is said to have replied: “Tens and tens of thousands, I can’t afford it.”

The company Soane, co-founded by Lulu Lytle and said to have been commissioned by Ms Symonds, has wallpaper on its website in “old gold” and “yellow gold”.

Ms Symonds, 33, reportedly saw the lavish Downing Street overhaul as necessary to rid the Prime Minister’s residence of the “John Lewis nightmare” left behind by former occupant Theresa May, according to Tatler.

What did John Lewis say?

(Twitter/@JohnLewisRetail)

On Twitter, John Lewis said: “Time for an interiors refresh?  We pride our Home Design Service on having something for *almost* everyone.”

A few hours later, they posted a picture of a John Lewis van driving near Downing Street.


(Twitter/@JohnLewisRetail)

They wrote: “Good thing we have a recycling service for old pre-loved furniture.”

People in the comments were quick to notice the jibe.

One person said: “Loving the sarcasm from John Lewis there, wonder what took them so long to address the elephant in the room!

“If needed as evidence, maybe they could provide the receipts of all those fancy decorations Boris Johnson & Carrie Symonds bought from them.”

Another wrote: “I wouldn't want to shop at the snotty rip-off merchants that Boris Johnson frequents. Happy to buy quality goods from your partnership any time.”