The ruling – made six months ago – had appeared to be a fresh embarrassment for Mr Johnson has he faces multiple inquiries by standards’ watchdogs.
The Electoral Commission is investigating who originally paid for his flat renovations – while the parliamentary commissioner for standards is probing a luxury £15,000 Christmas holiday in the Caribbean.
But Downing Street was confident that an application to strike out the debt judgement would be successful, describing it as “totally without merit.”
No 10 was blindsided by the story – revealed by
Private Eye magazine – but quickly made clear it was nothing to do with the controversy over his lavish flat makeover.