Nearly £100k Spent on No 10 Paintings As Boris Johnson Planned To Slash Benefits

NUMBER 10 - The Daily Mirror points out today that nearly £100,000 was spent on two paintings to adorn the walls of 10 Downing Street as Boris Johnson drew up plans to cut public sector pay and slash benefits.

Official documents show the works were bought through the Government Art Collection fund, which is bolstered by taxpayers.

The extravagance points out the Mirror was revealed as millions of low-income families brace themselves for Rishi Sunak’s £20-a-week cut to Universal Credit and after the Government imposed a real-terms pay cut for teachers and police officers last month.

Accounts show £70,200 was spent on a painting by Belfast-born artist Cathy Wilkes, 54. The untitled 24in by 28in work is egg tempera on linen.

A second piece, costing £18,775 from photographer, video and installation artist Willie Doherty, has also gone on display.

It is a set of four black-and-white photographs called Ashen, Restless, which show vegetation and their shadows on a grey concrete background.

Image: £70,200 was spent on this untitled painting by 54-year-old Belfast-born artist Cathy Wilkes.

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