Carrie Symonds
‘more powerful than ever’
Reports that the PM’S girlfriend is at war with his chief advisor prove her influence, says The Spectator’s
IN THE WEEKS leading up to last year’s election, Carrie Symonds – Boris Johnson’s 31-year-old girlfriend – was often spotted on the campaign trail, lending her support to Conservative MPS. But since the Tories won their 80-strong majority, she has kept a lower profile. What’s going on?
The answer is that Carrie has gone back to her day job at Oceana, an environmental pressure group, where her focus is on the fight against plastic pollution. After taking six weeks off before the election, she then spent New Year in Mustique with the Prime Minister, before returning to work. She’s also been travelling to the US frequently, where Oceana has its HQ. One colleague of hers explains that she has lots of evening conference calls to team members in Mexico, Belize and Peru. As a result, her social life has taken a backseat as she juggles the late nights.
But don’t be fooled. Behind the scenes, Carrie is said to exert influence in Westminster, even if she deliberately keeps a low profile. ‘She’s more powerful than ever,’ says a well-placed insider. ‘She’s like the Kate Moss of British politics. Carrie’s very selective about what she says and when she says it. She knows that the less public her profile, the more the public will like her.’
In the past week, stories have emerged of a feud with Dominic Cummings, the Prime Minister’s chief advisor. Carrie – a former head of communications for the Tory party – is said to disagree with his obstructive attitude towards the media, as well as some of the decisions being made over the Cabinet reshuffle. Carrie’s known both for her close connections to members of the press and for her loyalty to a number of MPS.
Her ally Rishi Sunak is now Chancellor, the second most important job in politics. Her pal Zac Goldsmith lost his seat in Richmond but was then given a position in the House of Lords, allowing him to keep his job as Environment Minister. And one of Carrie’s closest girlfriends, Nimco Ali – who campaigns against FGM – received an OBE last year.
But Carrie is also said to only have people in her circle whom she feels she can trust completely. ‘She’s supportive of women she doesn’t feel threatened by,’ says a former colleague. The new influx of Tory MPS will be discovering for themselves just how significant Carrie’s patronage may be. Dehenna Davison, the 26-year-old Tory MP who has already made a name for herself with her collection of colourful high-street suits, has reportedly struck up a friendship with Carrie.
But politics is a fickle game. President Harry Truman famously said that if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog. Carrie’s new best friend in Westminster – and the star of her personal Instagram account – is Dilyn, her rescue dog. On 31 January, the day Britain officially left the EU, Dilyn was photographed dressed in a Union Jack outfit. ‘She is a massive animal lover,’ explains a friend.
What you won’t see on Carrie’s Instagram account are many photos of her boyfriend, aside from the occasional shot of them taken inside Downing Street. ‘Boris is obviously quite busy,’ says one insider. I’m told, though, that they do a fair amount of entertaining at Chequers, the PM’S country house in Buckinghamshire, where they spend many weekends.
Even if their relationship seems restrained, it’s apparent that Boris listens to Carrie when it comes to his political strategy. Whether it be the PM’S growing interest in the environment, his policy to extend sentences for serious sexual offenders (Carrie campaigned heavily against the early release of black cab rapist John Worboys), or the recent decision to pull a badger cull, their pillow talk is clearly influencing British politics. As one Tory puts it: ‘She has his ear.’