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Boris Johnson ’s girlfriend left her job as a senior aide at Tory HQ after allegedly being accused of claiming thousands of pounds of unauthorised expenses.

Carrie Symonds, 31, was reportedly asked by party bosses to step down as director of communications amid claims her performance was not up to scratch.

Tory sources say she was also accused of using junior staff members’ names to book cabs for herself and claiming for social events when she was off-duty.

Sir Mick Davis, party chief executive, is said to have tried to remove her from her £80,000-a-year role but was rebuffed after protests by her friends in the party.

He finally asked her to quit last summer, just before her affair with married Mr Johnson was revealed, after receiving the backing of party chairman Brandon Lewis.

(Image: Guy Bell/REX) (Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Ms Symonds was given a £20,000 pay-off, according to the Daily Mail, and signed a non-disclosure agreement.

Tory party insiders have told the Mirror Ms Symonds was asked to leave over her poor performance, with the expense abuse the final straw.

One former colleague said: “She was often missing in action at CCHQ, including after Theresa May ’s disastrous conference speech. She was never around, left work early and took time off sick during big events.”

(Image: Collect Unknown)

But friends of Ms Symonds claim she was forced out after taking time off to campaign against the decision to give parole to taxi cab rapist John Worboys, who drugged her when she was 19.

One friend told the Mail: “She is now the latest victim of Tory infighting with unnamed sources trying to hurt her simply because she is with Boris.”