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Keeping a low profile as Johnson's girlfriend in the last 18 months is one thing. But doing as the Prime Minister's partner will be more difficult.
Never in life has a British prime minister had an unmarried partner during his term. Downing Street told CNN that she did not know if Symonds would move into the famous residence.
These are unknown waters for the British establishment and the role of Symonds will largely depend on his personal preferences. Unlike the first American ladies, the first British partners have no strictly defined role.
"They are a little makeup as they go, so they depend a lot on the personality of each," said Professor Tony Travers, director of the Institute of Public Affairs at the London School of Economics.
Travers pointed out that Cherie's wife, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, had pursued her career as a lawyer and that she "really was her own person, having almost nothing to do" with the work of her husband. husband.
In the meantime, Theresa May's husband, Philip, is standing by his side to deliver his last speech as Prime Minister. "He decided to show support and be discreet, and the press was very good at it," Travers said.
A powerful political communicator
The new Prime Minister also has the distinction of having a partner who had a political career – well before his meeting with Johnson. The daughter of Matthew Symonds, co-founder of the Independent newspaper, and the newspaper's lawyer, Josephine McCaffee, Symonds had a privileged education in southwestern London, where she attended a private girls' school.
Symonds studied theater and art history at the highly respected Warwick University, before becoming the Conservative Party's press secretary in 2010 and quickly rising to the ranks.
She was part of the campaign team that helped Johnson be reelected mayor of London in 2012.
At 29, Symonds became the party's youngest communications director, and badysts say she played a pivotal role in scrapping Johnson's character, particularly disheveled, during the leadership campaign. party.
"Since she came on the scene, he has become much thinner, he has lost weight, he has had his hair cut (…), he has definitely improved his appearance," he said. said Caroline Wheeler, badistant political editor at the Sunday Times newspaper.
Symonds is a "very established political communicator," added Wheeler. "She will know how to keep it on the message."
Throughout the campaign at the party leadership, Johnson has been "very careful" with the people with whom he spoke, said Wheeler, doing little in the newspaper interviews and avoiding some of the big ones. television debates.
"He's been a lot more disciplined and a lot of people have attributed to Carrie this transformation," said Wheeler.
Some badysts now believe that the Prime Minister will be aware of the climate crisis and animal welfare, an issue that Johnson raised unexpectedly in his inaugural speech.
"It will influence policies, especially the environment," said Iain Dale, broadcaster at the LBC and political commentator. Johnson "talked a lot about climate change during the campaign," he said.
The "taxi rapist"
Symonds also touched on other important issues for her. Barely out of adolescence, she spoke publicly about her meeting with John Worboys, nicknamed in the UK the "taxi rapist", who allegedly badaulted at least 100 victims.
At age 19, Symonds took a lift with Worboys to travel to his home in West London. During the ride, he offered him alcohol – a bit like the other spiked drinks that he offered to his victims. She said that as a result, she did not know what had happened next.
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Today, Symonds is in British newspapers for a variety of reasons.
At 55, Johnson is more than two decades older than Symonds and is technically married to his 26-year-old ex-wife, Marina Wheeler, with whom he has four children.
The couple was separated last year and reports of Johnson 's so – called extramarital affairs – and children out of wedlock – have long been on the front pages of British newspapers.
Johnson has never publicly addressed the issue of his extra-marital children. CNN contacted Johnson's office for comments but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Given Johnson's complicated privacy, his relationship with Symonds "has all the ingredients for the kinds of things that tabloids love," said Travers.
But their relationship is also a reflection of modern Britain, said Wheeler. "Many people choose to live together without being married," she said. "And I think it's important that those who run the country reflect what many people in this country do."
Neighbors recorded Symonds telling Johnson to "let go" and "get out of my apartment". Police said that the police had arrived and "talked to all occupants of the address, all of whom were safe and in good health".
"The British press is supposed to operate on a" public interest "basis," said Travers. Which means "does the Prime Minister's privacy have any bearing on his ability to do his job?"
While the UK is facing its worst political crisis in decades, Johnson is under enormous pressure to have the Brexit delivered by October 31. The Prime Minister probably thinks he can do without the additional attention to his private life.
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