Senior minister insists Boris Johnson paid for Downing Street flat refurbishment

Liz Truss dismisses stream of allegations' but could not confirm where PM had got the money

A senior minister has insisted Boris Johnson did pay for the refurbishment of his official Downing Street flat out of his own pocket but could not confirm where he had got the money.

The international trade secretary, Liz Truss, insisted Johnson paid all costs personally, and dismissed a stream of allegations about personal issues" in the light of an incendiary blogpost by Dominic Cummings on Friday night that levelled serious claims of impropriety against the prime minister.