Face of Nation : Boris Johnson’s partner, Carrie Symonds, has spoken publicly for the first time since moving into Downing Street. Her speech, at a bird-watching conference, had nothing to do with her relationship with the prime minister – but many eyes were on her nonetheless.
The prospect of Downing Street’s first unmarried couple has prompted many questions.She says she is a fan of comedy Fleabag, has met Muse’s Matt Bellamy on the Parliament terrace and once wished Sajid Javid happy birthday with a cartoon of him as an avocado.
Ms Symonds is the daughter of one of the founders of the Independent newspaper, Matthew Symonds and newspaper lawyer Josephine McAffee. The 31-year-old grew up in south-west London before going on to study art history and theatre studies at Warwick University.
Her first job in politics, she says, was working for Zac Goldsmith, the MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston, adding she was “not sure I’d have worked for the Tories if it hadn’t been for him”.
She joined the Conservative Party as a press officer in 2010, and later worked on Mr Johnson’s successful campaign to be re-elected mayor in London. Later jobs saw her work for the then-Culture Secretary, John Whittingdale, before being hired as a media special adviser for Sajid Javid when he was at the Department for Communities and Local Government.
She became the party’s head of communications, but left in 2018 to work in public relations for Oceana – a project that protects sea life. Ms Symonds has a passion for conservation and uses her Twitter account to share news about animal cruelty and plastic waste.
It was an internship with an animal conservation charity that “first got me hooked on all things animal welfare and wanting to do my bit”, she once said. Newspapers have credited Ms Symonds with convincing Mr Johnson to oppose fox hunting, and to make animal welfare promises in his first speech as PM.
She waived her anonymity to tell how she was waiting at a bus stop in west London in July 2007 when he pulled up in his cab and offered to take her home for £5. He gave her a glass of champagne, which she poured away, but said she drank a shot of vodka he offered her.
