Prime Minister Boris Johnson has full confidence in Robert Jenrick amid Tower Hamlets row

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given his backing to the housing secretary Robert Jenrick, the MP for Newark, following the controversy surrounding his approval of a £1bn development in London.

The Prime Minister's spokesman insisted: “Robert Jenrick has set out his account in public and to parliament, including publishing the relevant documentation, and in the light of this account the prime minister considers the matter closed."

Mr Jenrick has been under pressure since it was revealed he personally approved a £1bn property development in Tower Hamlets.

He admitted any “fair-minded and informed observer” could conclude there was a “real possibility of bias”, but he insisted he had not been biased in favour of Richard Desmond’s project.

He then quashed his decision and it will be re-decided.

Newly-released papers showed Mr Jenrick was ‘insistent’ the controversial development in London should be approved before new infrastructure charges came in.

The development, brought by Conservative Party donor and former Daily Express owner Mr Desmond was approved one day before the developer would have had to pay an extra £30 to £50m for local infrastructure.

Documents detailing discussions between Mr Jenrick and Mr Desmond have been released, after pressure from Labour to release all the discussions.

However, Labour has now reported Mr Jenrick, to parliament’s watchdog and asked Kathryn Stone, the commissioner for standards, to investigate whether his behaviour constitutes a breach of the MPs’ code.

The code states that members should act on all occasions in accordance with the public trust placed in them and behave with probity and integrity, including in their use of public resources.

It also states that holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions they take.