London, Explosive claims of a falling-out between UK Prime Minister Boris Johnsons girlfriend Carrie Symonds and his chief adviser Dominic Cummings over the Cabinet reshuffle have emerged, a media report said on Monday.
According to Treasury, Symonds was backing ministers who say Cummings’ aggressive approach towards ministers, officials and journalists was damaging the Prime Minister, The Daily Mail said in the report.
The rift has been fuelled by reports that Cummings urged Johnson to fire two ministers with close links to Symonds — Chancellor Sajid Javid and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.
But, Johnson has refused to sack Javid in the reshuffle expected this week, but the fate of Wallace was unknown.
In addition, Cummings was also believed to be planning to fire several Conservative ministerial special advisers, including some with connections to Symonds, said The Daily Mail.
Symonds and Cummings both have their own prominent Cabinet allies and political hobby horses – fortified by strong personalities, according to the newspaper.
Symonds joined the Conservative Party as a press officer 10 years ago, was promoted to director of communications in 2017, and worked for senior members John Whittingdale and Zac Goldsmith as well as Javid.
“There was always a risk that Carrie and Dom (Cummings) were going to fall out and that the Prime Minister would get caught in the crossfire,” The Daily Mail quoted a Treasury source as saying.
