THE SNP has claimed Westminster is “engulfed in sleaze, corruption and criminality” after reports emerged that a secret group of ultra-wealthy Tory donors were granted privileged access to the Prime Minister, ministers and advisers at the heart of the UK Government.

Reports suggest a secret group of Conservative donors, dubbed the “advisory board” have been granted privileged access to Boris Johnson and his administration.

According to the Sunday Times, more than a dozen people were regularly invited to meetings of the advisory board – including at least three billionaires.

The combined wealth of the advisory board members, including their companies and family ties comes in at more than £30 billion – while they have donated £22 million to the Conservative party including just under £10 million while Mr Johnson has been at the helm.

It has been suggested that after handing over donations, members of the board have been allowed access to Mr Johnson, ministers and advisers.

The board is a Conservative party body, rather than a UK Government panel, meaning its activities fall outside the remit of transparency laws. But the Sunday Times has seen thousands of documents that set out details of the secret panel.

READ MORE: Boris Johnson repeatedly refuses to say if he will resign if found to have broken own laws

Members of the board have been granted the contact details of UK ministers and advisers and some have reportedly used them to lobby the UK Government directly on Covid-19 strategy and procurement.

The Sunday Time reported that some have received public contracts approved by ministers and honours signed off by the Prime Minister while they were members of the board.

Reports suggest one of the PM’s longest-standing advisers Lord Udny-Lister was joined by Tory party chairman Ben Elliot in fielding questions from the panel of donors at a virtual meeting.

Members of the “advisory board” include Lubov Chernukhin, the wife of President Putin’s former deputy finance minister, who is reported to have lobbied against higher tax for the ultra-rich.

The panel also includes property tycoon Tony Gallagher, Iranian tobacco and property investor Javad Marandi and Philip Bouverat, the chairman of JCB.

SNP depute Westminster leader, Kirsten Oswald said the latest revelations show “it is utterly absurd that Boris Johnson believes he can remain in office”.

READ MORE: Priti Patel announces closure of Golden Visa scheme after corruption fears raised

She added: “Indeed, it is absurd that he is even still in office after the long list of scandal and sleaze that seems to be endemic in his premiership.

"Under Boris Johnson, the UK is in a state of constant chaos. Westminster is engulfed in sleaze, corruption and criminality, the Tory cost of living crisis is spiralling out of control, and his reckless hard Brexit has inflicted billions of pounds of damage to Scotland's economy.

“He should have gone long ago - and it is a disgrace that Tory MPs are continuing to sit on their hands and keep him in office. His arrogance is quite frankly dangerous.

“Scotland never voted for this Prime Minister or this government, yet we’ve had to put up with it and the long list of scandals that are costing taxpayers’ millions. “

Anneliese Dodds, chair of the Labour party, said: “These revelations raise serious national security questions about the cash for access culture that Boris Johnson has created at the heart of government.

“The Prime Minister appointed Ben Elliot as co-chair of the Conservative Party, he sanctioned the creation of a secret club of super-rich donors that gets privileged access to ministers, and he has chosen time and again to turn a blind eye to unacceptable conflicts of interest. This is on him.

“Boris Johnson must explain what donors with links to Putin’s Russia got in return for their six-figure annual membership fee and clarify whether these meetings had any impact on government policy at the height of the pandemic.”

A Conservative party spokesman said: “We can confirm that, on occasion, senior Conservative politicians, just like senior Labour and Liberal Democrat politicians, do in fact attempt to raise funds for the party they represent.”