Painting Boris Johnson's wife Carrie as a Lady Macbeth figure is sexist, says minister after new book says she has 'mesmerised' PM

• Sajid Javid said it was sexist to suggest Boris Johnson's wife Carrie manipulated the PM.
• Critics claim she wields huge influence, and has tried to get staffers she disliked sacked.

Attacks Carrie Johnson about her alleged manipulative behaviour are misogynistic and unfair, a minister has claimed.

The Prime Minister's wife has been accused of having thrown Johnson one of the allegedly lockdown-breaking parties, and held an Abba-themed party in the Downing Street flat to celebrate the departure of Dominic Cummings, as well as being instrumental in pushing the green agenda and other policies considered "woke" by some of the right of the Conservative Party.

More recently, sources told Insider she was behind the departure of some of Johnson's key aides.

But Sajid Javid, the health secretary, said such attacks on Mrs Johnson — who was previously his special adviser — were baseless and rooted in misogyny.

He told Sky News: "It is sexist. I think the partners of politicians should be off-limits [...] This is just about going after an individual and I do think there is sexism. It is undignified, it is unfair, and it is wrong."

Javid was particularly critical of a new book called "First Lady: Intrigue at the Court of Carrie" by Conservative peer Michael Ashcroft was serialised in the Mail on Sunday and alleged that the prime minister's wife meddled extensively in his running of government and his appointment of officials.

The biography alleges that Johnson is so influenced by the opinions of his wife — a former director of communications for the Conservative Party — that she has effectively hand-picked many of his advisers.

One one occasion, Johnson is said to have told a colleague "you don't know what it's like upstairs" — a reference to the flat where he lives with his wife.

A spokeswoman for Mrs Johnson told the BBC that she "plays no role in government" and said the book was "just the latest attempt by bitter ex-officials" to discredit her.

Javid said: "She was my special adviser, and she was an excellent special adviser. But she is not in government in any way - she has no formal role in government - to the extent she would have anything to discuss with her husband to do with government would be any different to anyone before her."

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng also denied that Mrs Johnson exerted undue influence over the prime minister.

"The prime minister has been in politics for 25 years and has a pretty strong set of ideas," he told Times Radio on Sunday.