Last modified on Sat 12 Jun 2021 11.49 EDT
Boris Johnson is facing legal action over his decision to give a peerage to a billionaire party donor in defiance of advice from the watchdog for appointments to the Lords.
Electoral Commission records show that Peter Cruddas, a former Conservative party treasurer, gave the Tories a further £500,000 just three days after taking his seat in the upper chamber last February.
Lord Cruddas, a businessman and philanthropist who has given more than £3m to the Conservatives since 2010, has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
At the time of his appointment, Downing Street took the highly unusual move of publishing an open letter from Johnson to Paul Bew, the chair of the Lords Appointments Commission, explaining why he was putting Cruddas in the upper house without its approval.
Hindaju announces arrival in Northern Ireland with 560 work-from-home jobs
business-live.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from business-live.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Brit EuroMillions winner has £111 million prize paid out after lucky scoop
dailystar.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailystar.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.