UK Cabinet Secretary Case Admits Discussing Job 'Opportunities' for Bojo's Wife Carrie

The prime minister, who has been suffering from a string of scandals and political crises, had to face yet another controversy when a report suggested that back in 2018 he tried to get his then-girlfriend and current wife Carrie Johnson a lucrative job in the Foreign office.

Cabinet secretary Simon Case admitted that he had discussed working "opportunities" for Boris Johnson's wife with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Earthshot prize. However, Case stressed he had never recommended her for any paid position.

The official explained the situation regarding Carrie Johnson in a letter to Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, published on Thursday.

"In autumn 2020 a former member of the No 10 team asked about opportunities for Mrs. Johnson with environmental charities. I was happy to have an informal conversation with someone involved with the Earthshot prize about what roles were available, as I would have done for anyone with relevant experience who was keen to get involved with charity work," he said.

Britain's Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service Simon Case arrives to attend a Cabinet away day at Middleport Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent, central England, on May 12, 2022.

© OLI SCARFF

"I was informed that there was one publicly advertised role and possible volunteering opportunities. In keeping with the Earthshot prize’s charitable status, the publicly advertised role was not publicly funded, and any applicant would have been required to go through a full and open interview process. I am not aware of how this information was used, but, as I understand it, Mrs. Johnson did not pursue any of these opportunities."

This response from case was published after Rayner urged him to disclose if the PM had instructed him to seek the job for Carrie with the Royal Foundation. The concerns from the opposition politician came amid the controversy, caused by a report in the Times of London.

The newspaper suggested that BoJo was pulling the strings to get his then-girlfriend a £100,00-a-year (around $123,000) government job. The Times had to spike the story after a call from 10 Downing St. citing "legal issues", but did not elaborate on details.

Commenting on the issue, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab criticized the report, saying that Carrie Johnson had become a target of a "deeply unsavory" political attack.

This is not the first time Carrie Johnson's name has emerged in a political scandal. She was involved in the Partygate scandal, and even fined by the Metropolitan Police for violating coronavirus rules for participating in a June 2020 gathering in Downing Street.