Another ‘cronyism’ row brewing over bid to give Carrie’s friend £90k job
BORIS Johnson faces a Tory ‘cronyism’ revolt after trying to secure a £90,000-a-year party post for a ‘political novice’ who is one of fiancée Carrie Symonds’s best friends.
The Prime Minister wants to appoint former TalkRadio radio journalist Ross Kempsell as Conservative director of research despite angry protests f r om senior Tories, the Daily Mail has been told.
It would mean ousting research chief Iain Carter, who was Miss Symonds’s boss when she was forced to resign as communications director in 2018 after being accused of abusing her expenses.
Tory chief executive Darren Mott is said to be among those opposed to the job going to Mr Kempsell, who plays tennis with Mr Johnson despite a two-decade age gap.
A Tory HQ source said: ‘Ross Kempsell is a political novice without the background in serious political thinking needed to lead CRD.
‘It takes more than being chums with the PM and his partner. It would be outrageous to get rid of Iain like this.’
The Conservative Research Department was the driving force behind many of Margaret Thatcher’s policies and plays a key role in producing the party’s election manifesto.
Mr Kempsell is a member of Miss Symonds’s network of Tory friends and attends soirees hosted by her in the Downing Street flat.
The Prime Minister made his ‘do or die’ pledge to carry out Brexit in a TalkRadio interview with Mr Kempsell during last year’s Tory leadership campaign.
After the election Mr Kempsell was given a job as a No 10 policy aide. Mr Kempsell, who now works for Times Radio, yesterday disclosed the Prime Minister’s backing for the Conservatives’ ‘50-50 Campaign’ to achieve equal representation for men and women in Parliament. Miss Symonds is an active supporter of the campaign.
As Tory political director in charge of the party’s media machine and CRD, Mr Carter was involved when Miss Symonds was asked to leave her £80,000-a-year director of communications job after party chiefs said her performance was poor. They had previously challenged her over her expenses.
She was accused of costing the party thousands in unauthorised expenses, secretly booking cabs in the names of junior staff to disguise the fact they were for her and using taxis for free travel home and to bars and restaurants to meet friends, even when off-duty.
Friends of Miss Symonds denied her Tory HQ exit was linked to the expenses row.
After Mr Johnson became Prime Minister, Mr Carter was demoted to party research director, and stripped of control of the communications team.
A Tory HQ spokesman said: ‘We do not comment on staffing matters.’
Mr Kempsell said last night: ‘This story is untrue. I am very happy in journalism.’