Boris Johnson’s partner Carrie Symonds hires former ITN comms chief Sarah Vaughan-Brown as her ‘personal adviser’… with duties including walking Dilyn the dog
- Carrie Symonds has hired an experienced comms chief as her personal adviser
- Boris Johnson’s partner to be aided by ex-ITN spin doctor Sarah Vaughan-Brown
- She has been seen walking Dilyn the dog near Downing Street this month
Boris Johnson’s partner Carrie Symonds has hired a former ITN communications chief as her personal adviser.
Sarah Vaughan-Brown started working for Ms Symonds earlier this month, with the Tories rather than the taxpayer picking up what is thought to be a six-figure salary.
Insiders say Ms Vaughan-Brown, who also handled PR for the Trinity Mirror newspaper group in the past, will be helping Ms Symonds with her growing charity interests.
However, she has also been spotted walking My Johnson and Ms Symonds’ dog Dilyn near Downing Street.
Sarah Vaughan-Brown (pictured walking Dilyn the dog near Downing Street) started working for Carrie Symonds earlier this month, with the Tories rather than the taxpayer picking up what is thought to be a six-figure salary
Ms Vaughan-Brown has been spotted walking My Johnson and Ms Symonds’ dog Dilyn near Downing Street
Carrie pictured cuddling Dilyn the dog – who lives with the couple in Downing Street
Ms Symonds – a former head of media for the Conservative Party – has kept a relatively low profile since moving into Downing Street with Mr Johnson last year.
She is still employed by the Oceana charity, where she has worked with US presidential hopeful Mike Bloomberg’s foundation on its ‘Vibrant Oceans’ project.
Ms Symonds’ charitable interests are focusing on issues including the environment, animal cruelty, violence against women and supporting the armed forces.
The arrangement for employing Ms Vaughan-Brown seems designed to avoid criticism faced by David Cameron’s wife Samantha when they were in No10.
Ms Cameron suffered a backlash in 2010 after it emerged Isabel Spearman had been appointed her special adviser on an estimated £60,000 salary funded from the public purse.
She was dubbed Mrs Cameron’s ‘Girl Friday’, and shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn branded it a ‘vanity’ move as the Coalition pushed through austerity measures.
Ms Spearman was later replaced by Rosie Lyburn, who was paid up to £53,000 a year.
Cherie Blair also had her own special adviser, Fiona Miller, who was the partner of No10 spin doctor Alastair Campbell.
Ms Symonds – a former head of media for the Conservative Party – has kept a relatively low profile since moving into Downing Street with Mr Johnson (pictured after the Tory election victory in December)
Samantha Cameron (pictured left) suffered a backlash in 2010 after it emerged Isabel Spearman (right) had been appointed her special adviser on an estimated £60,000 salary
Ms Spearman was later replaced by Rosie Lyburn (pictured left), who was paid up to £53,000 a year. Cherie Blair also had her own special adviser, Fiona Miller (pictured right), who was the partner of No10 spin doctor Alastair Campbell
The couple’s dog Dilyn (pictured in a tweet posted by Ms Symonds) also lives with them in Downing Street