Mike Tuffrey to Boris Johnson - "Whats going on?"

5.30.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 18th Jun 2008

Papers released on Tuesday evening by Mayor Boris Johnson's office show that up to £50,00 has been spent on the Forensic Audit panel that Mr Johnson set up, led by former newspaper editor Patience Wheatcroft, to investigate financial management and controls at the London Development Agency and the GLA.

The Mayor who announced the formation of this panel on May 8th 2008 told a meeting of the London Assembly on May 21st that "you would be wanting to maximise openness and accountability and assist in every possible way in allowing someone who is not being paid, nor are the rest of her committee…"

At Mayor's Question Time today Boris Johnson was accused of "misleading" Londoners and Mike Tuffrey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly told the Mayor the Tories would be "screeching from the rooftops" if the previous mayor had made such a decision.

Mike Tuffrey said:

"What was revealed was that £50,000 was being spent even though you promised that there was no money going (to this panel).

"Is this not behaviour that we would not have tolerated at the fag-end of an eight-year administration and we're not into even eight weeks of your administration. What is going on?"