A CONSERVATIVE group is calling for an inquiry into the influence of Boris Johnson’s fiancé Carrie Symonds.
The Bow Group, which includes Tory peers Norman Tebbit and Norman Lamont among its patrons, is concerned about the behind-the-scenes power of the former spin chief.
The move follows the resignation of Oliver Lewis from the Number 10 Union Unit, accompanied by reports that he felt his position was being made “untenable” by others in Downing Street.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson's Union Unit chief quits after just two weeks in the job
The former Vote Leave chief is reportedly the latest casualty in a Whitehall turf war involving Symonds. She was also supposedly involved in the ousting of senior adviser Dominic Cummings.
Recently, two of Symonds’s close friends – Henry Newman and Simona Finn – have been given key Downing Street roles.
She is reportedly looking to soften the UK Government’s image and push harder on environmental issues.
Ben Harris-Quinney, the chairman of the Bow Group, commented: “Failure to clarify Ms Symonds position and authority, and to ensure that Ms Symonds is not and cannot take any action in governing the United Kingdom, potentially has huge hazards for the government, the Conservative Party, and the nation.
“The public take a very dim view of cronyism, democracy in Britain is and must always be sacred, and no one should be involved in running our country without accountability to the people.”
The Bow Group, which is independent of the Tory Party, called for a public inquiry into Symonds’s role.
“Consistent reports in the press suggest that Ms Symonds is taking a central role in running the country, without any authority or accountability to do so,” Harris-Quinney went on.
“She has not been elected, she has not been appointed, she holds no legal or constitutional powers to make decisions relating to who should hold government posts, to be party to privileged information, or to set the policy direction of the country.”
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The call comes after Lord Frost was given a Cabinet seat this week, amid reports he had threatened to quit in a Downing Street power struggle.
The former Brexit negotiator was given Michael Gove’s role of overseeing the UK’s new relationship with Brussels and will become a full member of the Cabinet from March 1.
Insiders said the move was linked to a dispute over recent changes in Downing Street, involving allies of Symonds.
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