Labour has called for a probe into “whether rich people can pay to get access to government ministers” following the release of “cosy text messages” between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and a Tory donor. WhatsApp messages released on Thursday showed that Johnson discussed a proposed “Great Exhibition 2.0” with Lord David Brownlow at the same time as requesting his help with the £112,000 refurbishment of his official residence in Downing Street. The conversation led to a meeting between the Conservative peer and then-culture secretary Oliver Dowden but the idea, as Brownlow envisaged, was not progressed. Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said Labour has asked Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone to investigate the exchange, arguing that there are questions about potential “cash for access” for the prime minister to answer. Reed said the text messages “matter immensely,” arguing that they show Brownlow “appears to have access to the prime minister because …