The woman named in Boris Johnson’s marriage riddle
A PARTY-LOVING spin doctor was last night at the centre of speculation about Boris Johnson’s marriage split.
Carrie Symonds, the Conservative Party’s former director of communications, was linked to the former British foreign secretary after it was claimed he had developed a ‘strong friendship’ with the blonde in the months leading up to his separation from wife Marina Wheeler.
Ms Symonds, 30, has been a high-profile figure in British politics for nearly a decade, holding senior positions at Tory HQ and as an adviser to Cabinet ministers. She regularly posts glamorous pictures of herself on social media, including one of herself standing on the bonnet of a car in the grounds of Westminster. Neither Mr Johnson nor Ms Symonds have commented on their friendship.
Ms Symonds left her director of communications job at Conservative Campaign Headquarters over the summer amid claims of rows with No.10 over her closeness to Mr Johnson’s camp.
She has often written positive comments about Mr Johnson on Twitter, last year posting a link to a speech of his with the comment: ‘This is really worth watching. Boris absolutely
brilliant…’ It was reported yesterday that Mr Johnson had spent two hours with a ‘young attractive’ blonde woman in a London restaurant on Valentine’s Day. One onlooker said: ‘It seemed quite an intimate meal.’ The identity of that woman has not been confirmed.
Just one week before the dinner, Ms Symonds and Mr Johnson were photographed together at a Conservative Party fundraiser ball.
Mr Johnson and his wife said in a joint statement on Friday: ‘Several months ago, after 25 years of marriage, we decided it was in our best interests to separate.
‘We have subsequently agreed to divorce and that process is under way. As friends we will continue to support our four children.’