I really don’t know how the Tories are getting away with all this sleaze. Another senior Tory caught with his hand in the till. This time one of Boris’s mates.

“Prior to the discrepancies coming to Johnson’s attention, eyebrows had already been raised by members of the London assembly over receipts relating to Clement’s business claims, which were published last week, including £2,400 for upgrades to business class for two flights to the Beijing Olympics last summer – while the mayor himself flew economy class – and a number of dinners with Tory colleagues from local government, City Hall, and Westminster.

But it later emerged that some of the Tory colleagues noted down were not actually present for the meals, while others insisted they had no idea that the lunch had been paid for with taxpayers’ money.

It is believed that in at least two instances Clement used the credit card to entertain 23-year-old Claire Dowson, a Conservative party agent. Dowson was not available for comment.

The office of Merrick Cockell, the leader of Kensington and Chelsea council, confirmed that he did not have dinner with Clement at the Mayflower Chinese Restaurant on 6 November, as claimed by the former deputy mayor in his expenses.

Clement also claimed he had lunch with Michael Rye, the leader of Enfield council. But Rye said the meal simply “did not take place”. “He was with me in Enfield that day. I saw him off at our civic centre in his Jag and that was the last I saw of him – before 12 o’clock.”

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