No Commons denial from PM over top roles for wife

BORIS JOHNSON yesterday did not deny claims that his wife, Carrie, had been considered for senior roles in the Government and the royal household, as he was mocked by Sir Keir Starmer over wanting to appoint her.

Urged by Chris Elmore, a Labour MP, to “be honest” with the House of Commons and say if he ever considered appointing Mrs Johnson to one of the posts, the Prime Minister did not give a straight answer.

“I know why Labour Members want to talk about non-existent jobs in the media – because they do not want to talk about what is going on in the real world,” Mr Johnson said during Prime Minister’s Questions.

It comes amid a week of half-denials by the Prime Minister and Downing Street following reports of numerous jobs which he is said to have tried to appoint Carrie Johnson to.

This allegedly included a £100,000 role in the Foreign Office while Mr Johnson was the Foreign Secretary at the time the two were reportedly having an affair.

A spokesman for Mrs Johnson has described the claims as false .Mr Johnson

accused the Labour leader of having ill-discipline on his benches after 25 of his MPS defied his orders to join picket lines. Sir Keir replied by mocking the Prime Minister.

He said: “I am surprised the Prime Minister is giving me advice about my team,” he told the Commons.

“If I do need advice, let us say, about a £100,000 job at the Foreign Office, I will ask him for a recommendation.”

The Prime Minister’s press secretary did not refute the claims following the exchange, but said that he never “recommended” Mrs Johnson for a government role or a role with the Royal family. Asked if Mr Johnson’s failure to deny this was effectively confirmation it was true, the press secretary said: “I don’t think we’ve got anything further to add on this.

“We’ve obviously been asked about it several times.

“There are various different reports.” She added: “On the report from yesterday, as we’ve said, the Prime Minister never recommended Mrs Johnson for a government role or one as part of the Earthshot Prize.

“I obviously can’t speak to any details of private conversations that may or may not have happened. But I think the facts speak for themselves that Mrs Johnson did not apply for or was offered any role.”

A spokesman for Mrs Johnson has described the claims surrounding the government role as “totally untrue” and denied the claims that she had been discussed for the royal job, although there is no suggestion that she ever applied formally for the role or knew that her husband’s advisers had suggested the idea.

“The Prime Minister was thinking about whether there was something she could do but I don’t think she was aware of any of this,” a third source familiar with discussions said.