A coalition of political journalists, advisers and politicians have signed a letter condemning sexist media coverage of the woman at the centre of the allegations about Boris Johnson’s private life.
The open letter said the treatment of Carrie Symonds, the former CCHQ director of communications, had been appalling and would discourage talented women from entering politics and the media.
It is signed by politicians including sports minister Tracey Crouch and fellow Tory MPs Anna Soubry and Nicky Morgan, as well as Labour MP Stella Creasy.
Political advisers to sign include former Tory adviser Emma Barr, ex-Labour adviser and comedian Ayesha Hazarika, and Polly Mackenzie, the former Nick Clegg adviser who is now the director of Demos. It is also signed by journalists including Kate Maltby and Jane Merrick, who have written about their experiences of harassment in Westminster and been attacked in the tabloid press.
Symonds, who was previously an adviser to several cabinet minsters, has been linked to the former foreign secretary by several tabloid newspapers. Johnson and his wife, Marina Wheeler, have recently
