Boris Johnson's lover in Tory expenses 'abuse' claim: Carrie Symonds forced to quit £80k
Boris Johnson's girlfriend quit her job at Tory HQ just months after being accused of abusing her expenses to the tune of thousands of pounds.
Carrie Symonds, 31, was asked to leave her £80,000-a-year post as director of communications after party chiefs said her performance was poor.
They had previously challenged her over her expenses.
A source claims she was accused of:
Officials say they were shocked to see photos on Instagram of Miss Symonds in Morocco on holiday with colleagues, reportedly leaving her department back in London understaffed.
It is also claimed she leaked stories to the media that were damaging to Theresa May.
Miss Symonds and Conservative Party HQ both declined to comment last night. A close friend dismissed the claims as nonsense and a bid to smear her by opponents of Brexit.
The friend said the Morocco trip was for her 30th birthday and the criticism was ridiculous because a party chief was present.
Mick Davis, Tory treasurer and chief executive, reportedly tried several times to remove Miss Symonds but was rebuffed following protests by her powerful allies in the party.
Backed by party chairman Brandon Lewis, Sir Mick eventually asked her to resign last summer.
Miss Symonds reportedly demanded a six-month payoff – £40,000 – and was eventually given £20,000.
Both sides signed a non-disclosure agreement to keep the circumstances secret.
Friends of Miss Symonds claim she was ousted for taking time off last year to campaign against the decision to grant early parole to black cab rapist John Worboys. She was drugged by him in 2007, when she was 19.
But Tory party insiders insist she had abused her work expenses and was asked to leave because she was not doing her job properly.
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