A report published in the first edition of the Times on Saturday claimed that Johnson had tried to put his then girlfriend in a 100 100,000-a-year job at the State Department in 2018. The story came out of later editions after the intervention of No. 10 and Mrs. Johnson’s spokeswoman described it as “completely untrue”, but Downing Street has so far refused to comment on the allegation. And No. 10 did not deny a further report in the Daily Mirror today that Mr Johnson had discussed with his aides the possibility of appointing Carrie as ambassador in view of last year ‘s COP26 climate summit or as director of communication between the Duke and Duchess . of the Cambridge’s Earthshot Prize. A Downing Street source said it was “untrue” to think that Johnson had recommended his wife for both jobs, but did not answer when asked if he had discussed it with his assistants. The prime minister’s spokesman declined to discuss details of Mr Johnson’s private talks with advisers. The spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has never nominated Ms Johnson for a government role or as part of the Earthshot Award. “Beyond that, I would not enter into any conversation that the prime minister may or may not have had.” And Mrs Johnson’s spokeswoman said: “This is an old story that is both untrue now and then.” However, Lord Geidt – who steadily resigned as adviser to ministerial interests last week – reportedly believes the issue of an alleged attempt to find a role for Carrie at the State Department could be investigated by his replacement. . The former ethics watchdog “thinks the incident could be a matter for his successor” and “could be ripe for investigation”, according to the Daily Telegraph. The initial allegation that the prime minister tried to oust Curry from the State Department appeared in the first edition of the Times on Saturday but disappeared from later copies. Downing Street confirmed that their aides had intervened after the allegation was originally published in The Times, but denied that the prime minister himself had contacted the newspaper to protest. The story extends to allegations made in a biography of Mrs. Johnson, First Lady: Intrigue at the Court of Cary and Boris Johnson, written by Tory donor Lord Ashcroft earlier this year. Responding to the original story, a spokeswoman for Ms Johnson said: “These allegations are completely untrue.” But Times reporter Simon Walters insists on his “100 percent” story, saying he had contacted No. 10 aides and Ms. Johnson’s spokeswoman before the paper was published. “At no point did any of them offer a substantial denial of any part of the story,” Walters said. Carrie and Boris Johnson at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations (REUTERS) Despite Lord Geidt’s obvious involvement in the Ms Johnson dispute, it is unclear whether he will succeed in the same role in advising on possible breaches of the ministerial code. Mr Johnson is considering not replacing his ethics supervisor, with No. 10 saying there would be a review of how best to manage the “vital” function and that the post could be removed. Parliament is due to vote on a Labor bill on Tuesday to give lawmakers on a cross-party selection committee new powers to hold Johnson and his ministers accountable for any alleged violations of the rules. The Labor Party proposal will delegate new powers to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) to appoint its own adviser on alleged breaches of the ministerial code if the role is not fulfilled. Keir Starmer’s party will force a vote Tuesday on the proposal, which would allow the commission’s ethics adviser to launch an inquiry if Geidt is not replaced within two months. Labor deputy leader Angela Rayner said it would be tantamount to placing No. 10 in “special measures” to stop Mr Johnson from “squeezing rules, avoiding accountability and degrading standards in public life”.
