Inside Boris Johnson’s £2.6m ‘vanity’ TV studio at Downing Street – decked in Tory blue

These are the first photos from inside Boris Johnson’s £2.6m Downing Street media studio.

A former courtroom has been transformed to a White House-style briefing centre, with Tory blue partly covering the wood-panelled walls despite it being a government project.

The televised briefings themselves, to be fronted by the PM’s Press Secretary Allegra Stratton, have been repeatedly delayed due to the Covid pandemic and still have no start date.

Details of the renovation at 9 Downing Street had been a closely-guarded secret until these photos were obtained by ITV News.

They show a podium with the words “Downing Street”, partially obscured by the Downing Street emblem, and a Henry hoover in the corner. Behind the podium is a bright blue screen and four Union flags.

The photos show a Henry hoover hiding in the corner (Image: ITV) Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles

It comes after Boris Johnson employed three “vanity” photographers at No10, and as he faces questions over the reputed £200,000 renovation of his flat.

Labour ’s Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Rachel Reeves said: “Given how much money Boris Johnson has thrown at his latest vanity project, we were expecting something a bit more impressive.”

SNP deputy Westminster leader Kirsten Oswald added: “It beggars belief that Boris Johnson is wasting millions of pounds of public money on ugly Tory vanity projects, and a luxury refurbishment of his apartment, at the same time as imposing a public sector pay freeze, cuts to Universal Credit and tax rises for millions of workers.

“Yet again, the Tories are revealing themselves to be arrogant and completely out of touch.”

Journalists will pack into the TV briefing room once the Covid pandemic is over (Image: PA)

Earlier Downing Street insisted it had ‘absolutely’ no security concerns after it emerged a Russian-owned company worked on the new studio.

Megahertz installed computers, cameras and microphones at the facility, behind the heavily-guarded gates of Downing Street, according to HuffPost.

The company has also done work for state broadcaster Russia Today. HuffPost report the firm is owned by the UK arm of Okno-TV, a Moscow based firm which has also carried out work for Russian state outlets Channel One and Public Television of Russia.

There’s no suggestion that either Megahertz or Okno-TV are under the influence of the Russian government.

The original wood panelling by the door into the room (Image: ITV)

Asked whether the Government had any security concerns about the firm, Ms Stratton said: “Absolutely not. We are sitting in No.9 right now and all of the correct processes have been followed.

“There are no concerns from our team.”

She added: “Clearly in a contract like that we take all the necessary measures to ensure the highest standards of security.

“It’s absolutely not something we would ever cut corners on, and every refurbishment across the government estate is to the highest standard and those standards are always met.”

Approached by HuffPost about the contract, Megahertz declined to comment.