Boris Johnson is not suing a news outlet that ran claims he made a “callous jibe” about his own wife, Downing Street said today.
A source told The New European Mr Johnson had claimed he had “buyer’s remorse” after marrying Carrie, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, last year.
The alleged remark - possibly in jest - was said to have “raised eyebrows” during a private dinner with journalists at the men-only Garrick Club.
Downing Street today insisted: “The Prime Minister has been clear he never made those remarks, they’re completely untrue, they were never said.”
But a spokesman denied the PM is taking legal action, which would have been an extraordinarily rare move for a sitting minister, never mind a Prime Minister.
The New European today reported that a Downing Street press officer rang the paper’s editor at 10.30pm on Thursday saying the story was untrue and the PM is taking legal action.
The spokesman, who the paper said refused to reveal his identity, later texted: “The Prime Minister did not make this remark. The allegation is untrue and defamatory.”
However, asked today if Mr Johnson is taking legal action, a No10 spokesman said: “No, but the Prime Minister’s been clear he didn’t make those remarks and they’re completely untrue.”
Asked again if the news outlet was being sued, the spokesman said: “That’s not my understanding.
“But again the PM’s been clear that those remarks were never made.”
BJ never said ‘let the bodies pile high’, either …
OK, but feel free to keep on making your derogatory, bordering on Criminally Libelous, comments about the Prime Minister, many of us members voted for.
Ted…just to say that this thread is in the “Controversial” section, so I think querying things said by politicians is to be expected, to be honest. Makes for good discussion, don’t you think?
No Ted, I didn’t say that at all…I just reminded you that all topics may not be agreeable for some members, which is why we have a Controversial section.
The Tory peer claims Mr Johnson, 57, is ‘completely mesmerised’ by his 33-year-old wife and cuts a ‘lonely’ figure surrounded by her close friends who are now among his most influential aides.
The Prime Minister has told friends he is furious about the book, First Lady: Intrigue at the Court of Carrie and Boris Johnson, which is being serialised in the Mail on Sunday.
The Prime Minister is understood to believe that Lord Ashcroft has been spun a tissue of lies by disgruntled former No 10 advisers. He thinks it is a misogynistic attack on someone who cannot fight back, that it bears no resemblance to the truth and that Mrs Johnson is a private individual who has no influence on state policy.
The book comes as Mr Johnson fights to stay in No 10 following the resignation of five aides in 24 hours and the growing drumbeat of speculation that he could face a vote of no confidence in his leadership.
According to Lord Ashcroft’s account, the frustrations at Mr Johnson’s then girlfriend’s apparent influence first emerged during his six-week campaign for the Tory leadership in 2019.
It includes claims that Mrs Johnson would use her husband’s mobile phone ‘to try to direct and control events’.
It even claims that Mr Johnson’s aides tried to sideline Carrie by booking taxis to take her to campaign meetings – but then secretly asked drivers to take her on a meandering route.
The book quotes the Prime Minister as telling aides: ‘Don’t do anything that’s going to make her torture me when I get home. You’ve just got to help me. My life at home’s miserable. You’ve got to find a way to make this bearable for me.’
Of course, ‘Lord Ashcroft’s account’ may well be a ‘tissue of lies’ …
Although, allegedly, Carrie Johnson “is a private individual who plays no role in government.”
In 2009, Symonds joined the Conservative Party as a press officer. She worked at Conservative Campaign Headquarters, and later campaigned for Boris Johnson in the 2010 London Conservative Party mayoral selection. She has also worked as a media special adviser for Conservative Cabinet ministers Sajid Javid (Communities, Local Government and Housing Secretary) and John Whittingdale (Culture, Media and Sport Secretary).
Carrie Symonds became the Conservative Party’s head of communications in 2018, but left the position later that year, taking up a job in public relations for the Oceana project. It was reported that she was asked to leave her post as director of communications, with Conservative party sources of the Daily Mail paper reporting that the firing was due poor performance according to party chiefs and allegations of significant unjustified expenses claims.
A good friend of Carrie Johnson has left Boris Johnson’s team of top advisers as the prime minister shakes up his Downing Street operation, Number 10 has confirmed.
Henry Newman will return to work with Michael Gove at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, having previously been his special adviser.
Mr Newman was once described by Mrs Johnson, a former Conservative Party head of communications, as one of her “favourite people” and is said to be a regular visitor at the PM’s Downing Street flat.
The PM is understood to have been urged to get rid of Mr Newman as a senior adviser over accusations his wife was influencing his appointments and government policy - which No 10 has strongly denied.
Absolutely. Nominally, at least, we have left the EU and, again nominally, we are again a sovereign country (well, apart from Northern Ireland, of course). It’s just that we now need to take back all the things which we consider our own: fishing areas, unnecessary payments and maritime territorial areas, for example.
Yes, I’d like to see Bunter extracting from the EU those things which I believe are still ours. He could do that, I believe, simply by extracting his digit.
