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At the weekend, the New European reported on an article in the Times which suggested that Boris Johnson, when Foreign Secretary, had tried to give his then mistress, Carrie Symonds, a £100K job before being told to FO by department staff.
The scoop wasn’t the story, which had been in the public domain for months, but the fact that the Times’ report had vanished from the website and print runs after the first edition.
The Strange Case of The Times’s Disappearing Scoop About How Johnson Once Attempted to Instal His Mistress as His £100,000-a-year Chief of Staff. https://t.co/VUIDo3LDaQ
— Tim Walker (@ThatTimWalker) June 18, 2022
Quite a story, this. I look forward to weeks of fury about it from the same people who were outraged by Starmer’s curry. https://t.co/FHTaGYizhh
— Paul Carnahan (@pacarnahan) June 18, 2022
In ‘We’re not shocked you did it – we’re shocked you admitted doing it.‘ news, Downing Street confirmed that someone from there had spoken to the newspaper before the story was pulled.
No shit, Sherlock. https://t.co/s760qEPxPN
— Tim Walker (@ThatTimWalker) June 20, 2022
Our government put pressure on a newspaper to drop a story that’s definitely in the public interest to know.
What’s that called again? When governments control the ‘free’ press?
It’s on the tip of my tongue. https://t.co/ZFZYVyWOU5
— Dawn Butler MP
(@DawnButlerBrent) June 20, 2022
Johnson’s second most-devoted cheerleader, Michael Fabricant tried to play down the substance of the article.
What he actually did was confirm it. Tweeters had a few thoughts, and these cover it.
1.
So much for the denials… https://t.co/AnJTr13MMJ
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) June 21, 2022
2.
No. She wasn’t his wife. He had another wife at the time. That’s their business. But he tried to circumvent open and fair recruitment processes at the FCO for his lover. This is corrupt. And you endorse it https://t.co/s7I6raYhBC
— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) June 21, 2022
3.
In fact: Prime Minister, then Foreign Secretary, attempted to get his girlfriend appointed as his Chief of Staff in the Foreign Office whilst his then wife of 20 years was going through cancer treatment but got stymied because someone opened a door at an inopportune moment. https://t.co/irZNMIMsdg
— Jessica Simor QC (@JMPSimor) June 21, 2022
4.
Carrie Johnson has a degree in Theatre Studies and Art History. She went straight from there into political life. Experienced yes – highly qualified no. https://t.co/3vAckAhNg1
— Otto English (@Otto_English) June 21, 2022
5.
BREAKING: Tory genius Michael Fabricant has only gone and confirmed #CarrieGate is true. Thanks, Michael, babe x https://t.co/MvMgjEKnpg
— Laura Kuenssberg Translator (@BBCFLauraKT) June 21, 2022
6.
A highly qualified person eh? https://t.co/EAqeyqXzxw pic.twitter.com/0HbmF0XzVm
— Sir The Featherlord (@TFeatherlord) June 21, 2022
7.
Thanks for confirming the story Mr Fabricant. By the way he had a different wife at that time, but thanks anyway. https://t.co/K6N1E2TOVp
— Gavin Esler (@gavinesler) June 21, 2022
8.
She wasn’t his wife at the time, babe, she was his bit on the side, just like Arcuri was. You’re not supposed to offer your girlfriends tax payer money x
— Laura Kuenssberg Translator (@BBCFLauraKT) June 21, 2022
9.
Michael Fabricant doesn’t know the difference between a wife and a girlfriend. But that’s OK, because neither does Boris Johnson.
— David__Osland (@David__Osland) June 21, 2022
10.
Such a non-story that Johnson phoned in from Ukraine to dramatically pull it…
— Marina Purkiss (@MarinaPurkiss) June 21, 2022
11.
•She wasn’t his wife. His wife was the one in hospital with cancer.
•She wasn’t highly qualified.
•It was clearly more than an innocent “inquiry”.But apart from that, top job, Accuracy Man.
— Anti-Bullshit Alien (@LennieMerrick1) June 21, 2022
12.
So what you’re saying is that the PM needed somebody to tell him it was a bad idea to appoint his mistress to an enormously well paid job funded with public money? The same PM who’s lost 2 ethics advisors and has no plan the get a new one?
How can you defend him? Just incredible
— Thomas James (@runnytom) June 21, 2022
Paul Bernal may have a point.
I see Fabricant is trending. He’s one of the Labour Party’s greatest assets right now.
— Prof Paul Bernal (@PaulbernalUK) June 21, 2022
Perhaps he’s in deep cover. Deeeeeeep cover.
Source: ThePoke
