Downing Street confirmed that members of Boris Johnson’s team intervened after a story about his wife Carrie was published in The Times, but denied that the prime minister himself had contacted the newspaper to complain.
The story alleging that Mr Johnson tried to hire Carrie for £ 100.00 a year at the Foreign Office at a time when he was having a secret affair with her appeared in the first issue of Saturday’s newspaper. but disappeared from later copies and a version also disappeared from the Mail Online website.
Mr Johnson’s spokesman confirmed that №10 was in contact with The Times before and after the first issue was published, but denied that the Prime Minister himself had contacted Deputy Editor-in-Chief Tony Gallagher, who was in charge of the newspaper that evening.
It is understandable that No. 10 did not take legal action in connection with the story.
A spokesman for the prime minister said he was unable to comment officially on the indictment, as it covers the period when Johnson was foreign minister from 2016-18.
But he told reporters: “Others have made it clear that this story is not true, including Ms Johnson’s spokesman.
“I would like to point out the rebuttals and statements made by Mrs Johnson on this issue and by colleagues № 10 over the weekend.
The spokesman added: “We were contacted before the publication and then we spoke to them. I think we talked to them after the publication. I don’t know the exact schedule of this. “
The story, written by senior political journalist Simon Walters, expanded on allegations in a biography of Ms. Johnson published by a Tory donor and fellow Lord Ashcroft earlier this year.
It claims that the idea of appointing Ms. Johnson – then working in the Conservative Party’s press office as Carrie Symonds – fell apart when close associates advised against the plan. At the time, Mr. Johnson was still married to Marina Wheeler.
The story goes that Mr Johnson’s senior aide, Ben Gascoigne, now deputy chief of staff at number 10, has threatened to step down at the State Department if Carrie gets a job.
Responding to a Times story, a spokeswoman for Ms. Johnson said: “These allegations are completely untrue.
But Mr Walters told New European: “I support history 100 percent. I was in lengthy and detailed communication with No. 10 High Level Officer Ben Gascoigne and Mrs Johnson’s spokeswoman for up to 48 hours before the newspaper was published. At no point did any of them offer a written denial of any element of history. “
“None of these three have offered me a written refusal since. № 10 and Mr Gascoigne did not deny it informally either.
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