BORIS Johnson has said allegations of sleaze being levelled at his party won't be reflected at the ballot box in upcoming by-elections.

The Prime Minister visited Sidcup on Friday afternoon, where voters will elect a new MP in December after the death of former minister James Brokenshire last month.

He was insistent that the strength of the local candidate in the Old Bexley and Sidcup constituency meant voters would back the Tories in the December 2 race.

But Lord Evans – chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life – said the public did care about these issues.

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Speaking at an event for the Constitution Unit research centre, based at University College London, he said: “Standards matter for our democracy, they matter for our economic prosperity, and for our international influence and our foreign policy.

“The past week has shown that standards do matter to the public. Ethical standards are important for making democracy work. The public does care about this.”

He added: “The evidence is that people do care about this, and have quite a sophisticated understanding of the issues involved.”

Lord Evans said he would like to see the UK Government “do more” to ensure probity was upheld.

He said: “Past governments have listened and responded to mounting public concern by reforming the standards system.”

He said the saga involving former Tory MP Owen Paterson, which kicked off the current focus on standards, had created “a huge wave of concern”.

He said: “I don’t think any government enjoys being held to account or feeling that they are being challenged on the decisions that they have made.

“It’s in the nature of politicians that they have strong belief in what they are doing.

“But actually, I think if you step back from this, it is in the longer term interest of government, and it’s in the longer term interests of the country to recognise that our tradition of accountability, our parliamentary processes and our tradition of strong ethical standards – not perfect by any means, but by international competitors good – is a national asset to us.”

Johnson was asked on his visit to Sidcup whether he feared public concern over standards would lose the Conservatives the by-election.

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In reply to a question from the press on the issue, he said: “No, because Louie French [the Conservative candidate] is running a great campaign on the big issues that matter to people.

“[He is] building on the legacy of James Brokenshire, ensuring that Queen Mary Hospital has ever better faculties and making sure that we have ever safer streets in Greater London.”

The party will also face a by-election in North Shropshire after Paterson’s resignation.

But the PM said he did not “underestimate the vital importance” of MPs refraining from engaging in paid advocacy.

Johnson said: “I do not in any way underestimate the vital importance of the transparency of MPs working number one for their constituents and not engaging in paid advocacy.

“We have got to make sure that the standards committee is allowed to get on and do its work and the Commissioner for Standards gets on and does her work.”