Carrie Johnson No 10 puppet master or easy target?

Some say the prime minister’s wife is pulling the strings at Downing Street while others dismiss such claims as sexist

- Rowena Mason and Heather Stewart

Boris Johnson’s inner circle has imploded so spectacularly that only one close political confidante from the early days of No 10 remains: his wife, Carrie Johnson.

The most powerful prime ministerial spouse in recent memory, the 33-year-old Johnson has a job of her own, for a wildlife charity, but sources from Downing Street past and present say her influence on the prime minister’s operation is undeniable.

Those who know her say she is determined to keep Johnson in Downing Street, despite the scandals over No 10 parties – some of which she attended – and the funding of the No 11 flat refurbishment, which was her project with the designer Lulu Lytle. The flat refurb, involving gold wallpaper and a £112,000 ($150,000) price tag, prompted critics to brand her “Carrie Antoinette”, a label she is known to dislike. But one former Downing Street insider says there was another nickname for her: Anne Boleyn. She was cast as the much younger wife trying to manipulate an egotistical leader.

Former Downing Street insiders report feeling Carrie could make her husband change his mind, sometimes overnight, on an issue they thought was already agreed. The prime minister would also tell aides that, if he didn’t take a particular course of action, it would anger his wife. They also reported he was receiving scores of messages from her during the working day and that she was repeatedly calling his staff, insisting he be hauled out of meetings to talk to her.