The Times - UK (2022-04-09)

the times | Saturday April 9 2022 2GM 37

News

A suspended Conservative MP who is
embroiled in a sex and drugs scandal
invited a businessman who lent him
£150,000 to meet Jacob Rees-Mogg in a
House of Commons bar.
David Warburton faces further scru-
tiny over his undisclosed financial rela-
tionship with Roman Joukovski. War-
burton is in a psychiatric hospital.
A friend of Joukovski said he met the
MP for Somerton & Frome in 2017 and
their friendship developed into a busi-
ness relationship.
Joukovski agreed to provide a
£150,000 loan from a family foundation

Scandal MP’s Airbnb financial deal revealed

to help the MP to buy a £1.2 million

former vicarage in the village of Oak-

hill, Somerset, which Warburton

planned to operate as an Airbnb. The

loan deal, at an interest rate of 8 per

cent, was signed on August 22, 2017.

It stated: “The borrower shall use all

the monies for purposes of the holiday

rental business he intends to carry on

following the date of this agreement

and specifically to fund a holiday rental

property.”

Joukovski later told the MP he was

looking to strengthen the non-execu-

tive presence on the board of his wealth

management company Dolfin Finan-

cial. Warburton recommended Rodney

Baker-Bates, his wife’s uncle, for the

£75,000-a-year role as chairman of the

company’s advisory panel. Baker-Bates

remained chairman until Dolfin went

into administration last June.

Warburton recorded the purchase of

a residential property in Somerset on

the register of MPs’ interests in Sep-

tember 2017, but not the loan.

The MP’s wife, Harriet, who works as

his taxpayer-funded communications

officer, announced in June 2018 that

she was launching an Airbnb business

based at the former vicarage. It has

since been sold and the loan repaid.

The friend said: “Warburton offered

to introduce him to his friend, Jacob

Rees-Mogg. They met for about an

hour or so in the bar of the parliament.

The nature of the conversation was

general and social in nature and did not

focus on any one specific topic and was

not linked to any outcomes.”

Joukovski, 53, was born in Russia but

has been a British citizen since 2000. In

2014 the Financial Conduct Authority

refused to certify him as a “fit and

proper person”. His financial advisory

company collapsed last year after the

financial regulator said it “dishonestly

or recklessly provided misleading

information” about its visa schemes.

Two former women parliamentary

aides have complained about Warbur-

ton, accusing him of unwanted sexual

comments and touching. He is also

alleged to have snorted cocaine at the

London home of a young woman and to

have climbed naked into her bed.

At the time Warburton did not com-

ment about the allegations. However,

The Sunday Telegraph reported last

weekend that he had said: “I have enor-

mous amounts of defence, but unfortu-

nately the way that things work means

that doesn’t come out first.”

There is no suggestion of any wrong-

doing in the relationship between War-

burton, Joukovski, Rees-Mogg or

Baker-Bates. Warburton did not reply

to a request for comment yesterday

David Brown

D

uck

sausage

slices,

sushi

salmon

rolls, beef pâté —

even cartons of bone

broth. The coolest

new deli counter in

town might sound

delicious, but it isn’t

for you, it’s for your

dog (Hannah Rogers

writes).

The British fashion

designer Anya

Hindmarch’s latest

offering is not just for

her usual set of well-

heeled customers but

their four-legged

furry friends too.

Today she opens

A Houndmarch, a

canine “butcher” on

London’s exclusive

Pont Street. If you

thought a can of

Pedigree would cut it

for the dog’s dinner,

look away now.

There is more than

your standard dog

biscuit at this shop

with its red-and-

white-striped awning.

As well as enjoying

high-end snacks

(which start at £5 for

50g), fancy Fidos can

be treated to luxury

pup-cessories, attend

workshops and even

have their paw-trait

drawn.

The pop-up will run

for five weeks and

many of the events

have sold out. Dog

owners clearly can’t

wait to get their paws

on Hindmarch’s new

£795 dog totes and

£125 dog poo bag

holders.

Sirius, the cocker

spaniel I brought

along with me,

drooled over the

selection of treats,

which customers can

buy by weight, pick ’n’

mix style, or packed,

from retail assistants

in striped aprons and

paper hats.

It might sound

barking mad but pets

are big business.

According to Statista,

the pet industry in the

United Kingdom is

worth more than

£4.5 billion. Selfridges

reports that Lish, a

canine couture brand

that makes £350

Antoinette hand-

carved oakwood dog

beds, is a bestseller

for its customers. The

luxury Italian brand

Prada sells £400

black nylon puppy

puffer jackets and a

monogrammed Louis

Vuitton leather dog

carrier costs £2,440.

This one is sure to

set tails wagging.

Fashion

guru’s dog

deli takes

the biscuit

CHRIS MCANDREW FOR THE TIMES

Hannah Rogers

and Sirius at

the designer

pop-up shop,

which is selling

£125 dog poo

bag holders