View From The Back

Behind every man is a powerful woman, but Carrie Symonds is certainly ruffling feathers

If a powerful woman has a strong, supportive man in her life he is likely to be called her ‘rock’. That’s what PM Theresa May called her husband Philip and how Beyoncé describes Jay-z. The Queen had a classier version for Prince Philip: ‘my strength, my stay’. Margaret Thatcher described Denis as the ‘golden thread’ in her life.

But if a powerful man has an intelligent, ambitious partner rather than an opinionfree clothes horse by his side, she is inevitably dismissed as a modern-day Lady Macbeth. The public never warmed to barrister Cherie Blair or lawyer Hillary Clinton. Duchess of Sussex anyone?

Now it’s Carrie Symonds’ turn. The First Fiancée has been criticised for meddling in Government policy and the hiring and firing of key personnel. Carrie is an interesting woman, not just because she finds something attractive in the exploding sofa of a man that is Bojo. Pre-boris, she was a political adviser. She will have strong feelings on justice for women who have suffered at the hands of men.

She gave birth to son Wilfred within days of the PM’S discharge from hospital after a life-threatening case of COVID-19, so she has every reason to be grateful to the NHS.

But if Carrie is to have opinions, she can’t afford to make mistakes like ‘wallpaper-gate’. Her extravagant makeover of No.11 Downing Street appeared to be based on Giles and Mary’s house from Gogglebox. Worse still, it has seen her dubbed ‘Carrie Antoinette’ for being out of touch with the public. Most seriously, the refurb’s funding is under investigation by the Electoral Commission. Carrie has placed Boris between his ‘rock’ and a hard place.