Latest updates: health secretary says any politician’s partner should be ‘off limits’ and focus on Carrie is ‘very unfair’
Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow work and pensions secretary, also told Sky News this morning that he thought criticism of Carrie Johnson because of her influence over her husband was sexist and misogynistic.
For a defence of the Ashcroft book, do read this article by Paul Goodman at ConservativeHome. Goodman, who edits the website, considers whether singling out Carrie Johnson for criticism is fair. It’s a tricky journalistic task, because Ashcroft owns ConservativeHome, but Goodman does consider both sides of the argument. Happily, though, he sides with his boss. He says:
So it is true that “Carrie Johnson’s behaviour is preventing the prime minister leading Britain as effectively as the voters deserve,” as our proprietor claims?
The full book may help us to reach a decision: all I can say is that such is my impression of the consensus view in Westminster, at least among ministers, MPs and spads [special advisers].
But whether the charge is true or not, it deflects from the main point. Which is that the prime minister himself, not his spouse, bears responsibility for his decisions.
It would be unfair to blame others for them, even his politically-engaged wife. After all, he chooses who he divorces, marries and has children with.
