Dominic Raab has described criticism of Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie over claims he tried to help get top jobs for her as “deeply unsavoury”.
The deputy prime minister told Sky News’s Kay Burley it was part of what he described as a “feeding frenzy” on any allegations regarding the PM.
Mr Raab said it was “out of order” for Mrs Johnson to be targeted “as a means to get the prime minister”.
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The comments come after sources told the Daily Mirror this week that the prime minister had discussed roles for his wife in autumn 2020, either as a green ambassador for the COP26 summit or as communications director for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Earthshot Prize.
Downing Street said the PM had never recommended his wife for a government role, but has stopped short of denying that he considered or discussed the move.
It follows earlier reports that Mr Johnson tried to hire Mrs Johnson – before they were married – as his chief of staff when he was Foreign Secretary in 2018, a claim that has been denied by Downing Street.
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Labour MP Chris Bryant said the idea of appointing her as a special adviser at the Foreign Office while in a relationship with her was “manifestly corrupt”.
Mr Raab told Sky News that Mr Bryant’s language was “particularly irresponsible”, adding: “Frankly, these attacks on Carrie are deeply unsavoury.”
He said the allegations that have been made had been “roundly responded to as flawed”.
“Frankly what I think you’re seeing is a political attack on Carrie as a means to get the prime minister and I think that’s out of order.
“There’s a sort of feeding frenzy on everything or anything that is even thrown out there as a claim against the prime minister or in this case his wife and I think that’s wrong.”
On calls for an investigation into the matter, Mr Raab said: “Ultimately, Number 10 have been very clear on this. I think it’s a partisan attack. It’s very unfortunate that Carrie’s being used to attack the prime minister. That’s not on.”
The claim that Mr Johnson tried to hire Carrie as his chief of staff was reported in The Times on Saturday but removed from later editions.
Downing Street has admitted there were conversations between Number 10 and the paper after its initial publication and before it was pulled.
