Boris Johnson refuses to deny he asked Conservative donors to pay for his child's nanny

• Boris Johnson refuses to answer questions over his alleged attempts to use Conservative Party donors to pay for his childcare arrangements.
• It follows allegations that Conservative donors secretly funded his flat renovation.
• A spokesman for Johnson refused to deny the reports on Tuesday.

Boris Johnson has refused to deny asking Conservative donors to pay for his child's nanny, dismissing questions over his alleged attempts to secretly fund his lifestyle through donations, a "Westminster bubble" issue.

According to the Sunday Times, an unidentified Conservative donor had complained about being approached to pay for Johnson's childcare arrangements.

The donor reportedly said that: "I don't mind paying for leaflets but I resent being asked to pay to literally wipe the prime minister's baby's bottom."

Asked by the BBC on Monday about these reports, the prime minister twice sidestepped the issue, saying only that "all this kind of stuff is, in my view, exclusively for the interest of the Westminster bubble."

His spokesman on Tuesday also declined to comment, saying that "What I'm saying is the prime minister has covered all costs of childcare. I'm not adding any more to that."

The response follows a separate investigation announced last week by the Electoral Commission into whether Conservative donors secretly funded the renovation of Johnson's 11 Downing Street flat.

The opposition Labour party described Downing Street's response to the questions as a "cover-up."

"We are seeing what looks like another cover-up from the Prime Minister, who is trying to hide his attempts to fund his lifestyle through secret payments from wealthy Tory donors," Deputy Labour Party leader Angela Rayner said.

"Boris Johnson forcing his MPs to vote against free school meals and making stealth cuts to schools at the same time as asking Tory donors to pay for his own childcare is yet more evidence that it's one rule for him and his mates another for everyone else. What did these donors expect in return for their generosity, and what were they promised?

"With an investigation already underway into potentially illegal activity, the Prime Minister and Conservative Party should stop taking the British people for fools and immediately publish all correspondence relating to all attempts to get Tory donors to fund the Prime Minister's lifestyle."