Huffpost is reporting that Boris Johnson is facing questions over what he knew about a Tory donor’s controversial £1bn east London development that his housing secretary “unlawfully” signed off – after it emerged the PM waved through a version of the same scheme (albeit, less extensive than the schemeRobert Jenrick approved) four years ago when he was mayor of London.

The Secretary of State for Housing, Robert Jenrick, has been under fire and in the spotlight for approving a 1,500-home development at the former Westferry Printworks site on London’s Isle of Dogs in January.

His approval was made despite the scheme being rejected by the local council and the Planning Inspectorate.

His decision came just a day before Tower Hamlets Council approved a new rate for its Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which would have increased the property owner’s financial liability to the authority by up to £50m.

Huffpst says that last month, Jenrick conceded his decision was “unlawful by reason of apparent bias” and confirmed his approval was deliberately issued before the new CIL policy could be adopted.

The move meant Jenrick was able to avoid publishing correspondence relating to the application in open court as part of a judicial review of his decision triggered by Tower Hamlets Council.

His planning permission has been quashed and is to be decided by a different minister.

At prime minister’s questions, Labour MP Judith Cummins asked:

“The communities secretary has admitted unlawfully overruling his own planning inspector to allow the Westferry development to go ahead, potentially saving the developer, Richard Desmond, who is a Conservative party donor, £40m in tax.

“The secretary of state did so just weeks after sitting next to the developer at a Tory fundraising dinner.

“Given that this was the same scheme that the prime minister tried to push through when he was mayor of London and which reappeared after he entered Downing Street, will he now tell the House what conversations he has had with the secretary of state about the scheme?

“Will he publish all relevant correspondence between No.10 and the department?”

Johnson replied: “I am happy to tell her that I have had no conversations on that matter whatever, nor any exchanges of any kind.”

Now, the leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer has added his voice to the calls transparency.

Speaking last week he said:

“I think there are serious questions that have got to be answered.

“I was disappointed that the Prime Minister just brushed it aside on Wednesday (June 3) when he was challenged on it in PMQs, there are clearly serious questions that have got to be answered, and the sooner they are answered the better.”

MHCLG said last week: “While we reject the suggestion that there was any actual bias in the decision, we have agreed that the application will be redetermined.”