PM's wife 'got rid of 'the sexy spad' during Boris Johnson's campaign
Carrie Johnson ‘influential’ in getting rid of red-headed ‘sexy spad’ as explosive new book by Lord Ashcroft reveals extent of power wielded by Boris’ wife in Westminster with sources warning: ‘If she doesn’t like you there can be big consequences’
- Carrie Johnson accused of being behind removal of top Tory spad Ellie Lyons
- Red head had been dubbed ‘the sexy spad’ by some Downing Street insiders
- Ms Lyons, a rising star in the Tory party, was left out of PM’s inner circle in 2019
- Campaign sources said Mr Johnson ‘suddenly changed tack’ on Ms Lyons
She may be the most powerful woman in British politics, but bombshell new claims suggest Carrie Johnson forced out a rising star within the Tory party over fears she was becoming too close to Boris Johnson.
Downing Street insiders, quoted in an explosive new biography written by Lord Ashcroft, have suggested that Ms Johnson’s apparent personal dislike of certain women has influenced the shaping of her husband’s inner circle.
Among her alleged scalps include Ellie Lyons, a one-time advisor to Boris Johnson during his leadership campaign, who was reportedly dubbed ‘the sexy spad’ by some in Westminster.
Cambridge graduate Ms Lyons, who moved to the private sector before returning to government last summer, had worked alongside Gavin Williamson and impressed advisors during Mr Johnson’s leadership campaign in 2019.
But one campaign source, quoted in Lord Ashcroft’s biography, said that Mr Johnson suddenly changed tack on Ellie, urging his inner circle to ‘get rid’ of her.
The source alleges the-then Tory leadership favourite was ‘being used by Carrie to do her dirty work’ and brought Ms Lyons’ political career to an abrupt end.
Ms Johnson’s orders allegedly came because she did ‘not want Ellie in No 10 because she’s too attractive’, another Tory source explained.
A spokesman for Carrie Johnson has said that Lord Ashcroft’s book is full of ‘vile fabrications’, while the Prime Minister has said Lord Ashcroft has been spun a tissue of lies by disgruntled former No 10 advisers.
And business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng today dismissed fears that Mrs Johnson holds any ‘undue influence’ within Downing Street, saying the Prime Minister has ‘a strong set of ideas’ after spending 25 years in politics.
Bombshell new claims suggest Carrie Johnson forced out a rising star within the Tory party in 2019 over fears she was becoming too close to Boris Johnson.
Among Ms Johnson’s alleged scalps include Ellie Lyons, (centre) a one-time advisor to Boris Johnson during his leadership campaign, who was reportedly dubbed ‘the sexy spad’ by some in Westminster
Miss Lyons’s friends were reportedly stunned to hear she would not be offered a role within Downing Street after Mr Johnson won the Tory leadership contest in 2019.
She had spent four months working alongside and impressing his closest staff, but was sidelined at the request of Mrs Johnson, insiders claim.
The Prime Minister is alleged to have said that ‘Upstairs’ – meaning Carrie Johnson – had ‘strong views on Ellie’ at the time.
In Lord Ashcroft’s book, Mr Johnson is quoted as having said at the time: ‘Let’s get rid of Ellie’.
‘He said, ‘Ellie is bad news.’
‘He had to be told that, in fact, Ellie had made a brilliant contribution to the campaign and he was lucky to have her. He was just being used by Carrie to do her dirty work.’
‘[Boris] said Carrie was hostile to Ellie so she couldn’t work in Downing Street,’ added another source. Miss Lyons left shortly afterwards and worked in the private sector.
‘Completely mesmerised’: Carrie embraces Boris after his speech to the Conservative Party conference in 2019
The Prime Minister is alleged to have said that ‘Upstairs’ – meaning his-then fiance Carrie Johnson – had ‘strong views’ on Ellie Lyons during his leadership bid in 2019
Other campaign insiders suggested that Mrs Johnson was also dictating some texts being sent by her then fiancé because there would be noticeable differences within messages.
‘A text message would appear saying, for example, that there was a particular MP whose support we didn’t need or want,’ one explained.
‘We realised Boris couldn’t have written the message because, the next day, Boris would contradict this.
‘We’d spot the different ways things were written, because the style would change. We’d learn to spot when it was her writing the message.’
Furthermore, one of Mr Johnson’s closest Cabinet allies is said to have privately tsaid that Mrs Johnson is the ‘the number one problem’ within the Prime Minister’s administration.
FRIENDS APPOINTED TO TOP GOVERNMENT JOBS: From far left: Best friend Henry Newman, appointed an aide to Boris: Allegra Stratton who became Boris’s No 10 press spokesman; and Josh Grimstone who now works for Michael Gove
… AND OTHERS WHO WERE FROZEN OUT. Discarded: From far left: Ellie Lyons, labelled as ‘bad news’; James Wharton, liked by Boris but rejected as ‘untrustworthy’ by Carrie; and Mimi Macejkova, replaced by a friend of Carrie
Another source adds: ‘We learned pretty quickly there was a culture of fear around touching anything that Carrie didn’t like. There was a nervousness.
‘I think the people who are close to her and align with her get great benefits. Those who idolise her might get a fantastic job out of it.
‘If she doesn’t like you, there can be big consequences.’
But others believe such allegations and accusations to be unfair, among them Carrie’s ex-boss John Whittingdale. ‘The influence [Carrie is] claimed to have [is inaccurate],’ he says.
‘Yes, I’m sure Boris and Carrie discuss things in a way that previous spouses would not, because they were much less political. Samantha Cameron had little interest in politics. Philip May didn’t have a great knowledge of politics.
‘This is the first time the PM’s wife has been a committed political activist and had knowledge and experience of working in politics, so of course it’s going to be talked about. But she’s very good. She advised me for 15 months, so I know she’s good.’
It comes as ministers continued to defend the Prime Minister and his wife during their round of media interviews on Sunday morning.
On criticism of Carrie Johnson and whether or not she is influencing the policy decisions of her husband, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng today said: ‘The reportage that somehow she’s got undue influence, I don’t think that’s true, the Prime Minister has been in politics for 25 years and has a pretty strong set of ideas.’
Asked if there was an element of sexism in the treatment of Mrs Johnson compared to spouses of former prime ministers, Mr Kwarteng replied: ‘I wouldn’t say that but I do think it’s interesting when the spouse is someone in their 30s and has got open positions that are well known, people feel free to criticise – I think that’s interesting.’
Pressed on what he meant by ‘interesting’, the minister replied: ‘I don’t think it’s sexist, I’m not going to go down the route of saying it’s sexist but I’m saying her views are under scrutiny in a way that perhaps other prime ministers’ spouses weren’t.’
Mr Johnson’s survival battle is set to be dealt another blow by the publication of an explosive biography portraying him as little more than the puppet of his wife Carrie
The Prime Minister is understood to believe that Lord Ashcroft (pictured at Tory Party Conference) has been spun a tissue of lies by disgruntled former No 10 advisers
Tory peer Lord Ashcroft claims Mr Johnson, 57, is ‘completely mesmerised’ by his 33-year-old wife and cuts a ‘lonely’ figure surrounded by her close friends who are now among his most influential aides.
The biography of Mrs Johnson advances the theory that faultlines in her relationship with the Prime Minister have had an impact on No 10, with one source describing it as ‘a Greek tragedy’.
The Prime Minister has told friends he is furious about the book, First Lady: Intrigue at the Court of Carrie and Boris Johnson, which is being serialised in the Mail on Sunday.
A spokesman for his wife described the claims as ‘cruel allegations’ which were part of a ‘calculated attempt by bitter ex-officials to attack Mrs Johnson’.
The Prime Minister is understood to believe that Lord Ashcroft has been spun a tissue of lies by disgruntled former No 10 advisers.
But Ashcroft also refers admiringly to Carrie’s, ‘courage and determination,’ as evidenced in her instrumental role ensuring sex-offender Warboys stayed behind bars, in speaking openly of her own experience of a 2021 miscarriage and her work for animal protection, saying the complaints against her are about use of power without electoral accountability.
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