Minister seeks to play down growing accusations of Tory sleaze

Therese Coffey says public does not care about makeover of Boris Johnson's Downing Street flat

Soon-to-be-published annual accounts will tidy up" the controversy over the funding of the refurbishment of the prime minister's Downing Street flat, according to a government minister.

In an interview with Sky News, the work and pensions secretary, Therese Coffey, sought to play down growing accusations of sleaze, and claimed the public did not care about the makeover of the apartment after the prime minister said he would foot the 58,000 bill himself.