Downing Street has confirmed that he was in talks with The Times when the newspaper published a report stating that Boris Johnson tried to appoint his wife to a government post when he was Secretary of State.
In a story published Saturday morning, the newspaper reported that Mr. Johnson tried to hire Carrie Johnson, then Carrie Symonds, as chief of staff in the 2018 Foreign Office.
However, the report was taken from later editions of the newspaper, and raised questions about whether issue 10 pressured the newspaper’s editors.
On Monday, the prime minister’s spokesman admitted that there had been contact between Downing Street and The Times before and after the story was published.
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Asked if there were any talks after its initial publication, the spokesman told reporters, “I understand that.”
He refused to say “who spoke to whom,” but denied that he was the prime minister himself.
“I checked and made sure he didn’t talk to anyone,” he said. “I am not aware of any calls from the Prime Minister.”
They added that “it’s all a matter of publications, for journalists to decide what they write.”
Image: Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson
Asked about the allegations initially reported by The Times, the spokesman did not directly refute them, but noted the previous denials by a spokeswoman for Mrs Johnson, who said: “These allegations are completely false.”
They said: “As a function of my role, I do not comment on what the Prime Minister did before he became Prime Minister.
“I think my political colleagues have made it clear over the weekend that the story is not as true as Mrs Johnson ‘s spokesperson did.
“I am pointing out the denials that have been made over the weekend.”
They added that the prime minister “believes in hiring the right people for the right roles.”
However, The Times author Simon Walters said he kept the report “100%”.
“I was in a long and detailed communication with No. 10 at a high level, Ben Gascoigne and Mrs. Johnson’s spokeswoman, up to 48 hours before the newspaper went into press. At no time did any of them offer a denial in the record of any element of the story, “he told The New European.
“Since then, none of these three have offered me a denial in the register. Number 10 and Mr. Gascoigne did not deny it outside the register either.”
Former Johnson’s chief aide Dominic Cummings has also backed the claims, claiming that Johnson also wanted to appoint his wife to a government job in late 2020.
He tweeted: “The ‘missing story’ (taken by the Times after the 10th call on Friday night) is true. Walters has repeatedly published accurate stories, for example, about illegal donations. (Johnson) I also wanted to name a girlfriend for a gvt job in the third quarter of 2020 “.
Asked if Mr Johnson tried to give the government a job while he was on Downing Street, his spokesman said: “Again, I understand that this statement is also false, but these statements have been reported before. and they have refused “.