Carrie Symonds is now a bona fide resident of Downing Street (despite the pearl-clutching over her unmarried status). But just because she's there as a plus one does not mean she should ever be underestimated.
The 31-year-old has, in her own right made waves in her chosen career field, and is fast emerging as an emblem for political change. She has proven dedication to environmental issues as an advisor for Oceana, a Global Marine protection charity, but you may also remember that she was a key player fighting against the early release of John Worboys: otherwise known as 'the black cab rapist'.
Now, Boris Johnson has spoken out about cracking down on sentences for sexual and violent offenders - which have been criticised in the past by charities such as Rape Crises for being too lenient. Could it be that Carrie is behind - or at least an influencing factor - in this announcement? If so, it's done nothing but validate our assessment of her as a woman not to be underestimated.
The new PM has said in a new statement 'we have all seen examples of rapists and murderers let out too soon or people offending again as soon as they’re released. This ends now. We want them caught, locked up, punished and properly rehabilitated.’ he also said, earlier in his speech 'dangerous criminals must be kept off our streets, serving the sentences they deserve – victims want to see it, the public want to see it and I want to see it.'
The pledge comes on the back of promises by Boris to crack down on crime, though so far, efforts have been focussed on increasing the number of police officers on the street and investing an extra £85 million into the Crown Prosecution Service. He has also announced plans to tackle the early release of certain prisoners - preventing serious offenders (much like Worboys) from being released after serving just half their sentence.
It comes as welcome news to the majority of us. It's a devastating reality that if you haven't had your own life irrevocably altered by rape, assault or violence: chances are that you probably have a friend, colleague or family member who has. Nothing is more crushing than seeing someone who has forever affected another person's life be punished by spending just a fraction of their sentence behind bars. Furthermore: what happens if these people - rapists, domestic abusers, sexual offenders, then re-offend?
It would make sense that Carrie would act as a representative in Downing Street for women who have been victimised by short prison sentences for rapists. She was targeted herself by Worboys, and campaigned and raised media attention when he was made eligible for early release after serving just 10 years in 2018.
Carrie accepted a lift in Worboys black cab in Fulham in 2007, when she was 19 and a first year Theatre Studies student at Warwick University. During the ride, Worboys offered her a glass of champagne which she tipped on the floor – fearing it was spiked – and asked if she would consider performing a sex act on him for £250. Worboys then pressured her to take a shot which left her vomiting and caused her to pass out when she was back at home with her mother.
‘It was absolutely terrifying when I found out how many women he had gone after’ Carrie told the Telegraph in 2009 ‘I was definitely in a position of danger, in a situation where I was not in control and I will never know what really happened to me’.
Writing in the Evening Standard 9 years later in 2018, she spoke out in support against a Parole Board's controversial decision to release Worboys - thought to have drugged and raped as many as 105 women and indicating in his trial that he believed rape was acceptable.
'In January, I found out that Worboys was to be released early.' Carrie wrote 'I had originally been told he would be in prison for far longer — maybe even for life — given the extent of his crimes. So what had changed?'. Continuing, she posed the question 'why did the Parole Board decide he was no longer a risk? What did it know that I didn’t?' She went on to help raise £70,000 to help support two victims of Worboys who called for a judicial review. They won, and a new Parole Board found that not enough evidence had been considered in the original decision to release Worboys early.
If Carrie's own experience as a campaigner - and victim - of sexual violence is a factor in this new development of Boris's 'crack down' on crime, then we're all for her status as a leading political lady of the UK.
Let's hope this represents positive step forward for victims of these crimes, those who've been affected by them and for all women the UK.
Inspiring Female MPs - Grazia (slider)
1 of 10Danielle Rowley, 28, Midlothian Scottish Labour MP
Speaking about her groundbreaking announcement, Danielle perfectly highlighted just how ridiculous it is that it's even a taboo to mention your period. She said on Twitter:'A lot of unexpected coverage of me talking about my period - which is great, but also highlights the need to talk about periods more openly.A woman mentioning her period shouldn't be such huge news - let's use this opportunity and work together to get to a place where it's not!'
2 of 10Jess Phillips, 36, Birmingham Yardley Labour MP
Jess brought social media trolls to account when she called for those who post abusive messages online to lose their anonymity. The MP told parliament that she once received 600 rape threats in one night and is threatened with violence and aggression every single day online. The online community is so hostile towards women that Amnesty International have led a campaign calling for Twitter to take greater responsibility for preventing online abuse. Jess told the House of Commons that people should have to disclose their real identity to social media platforms, with hope that it would not only deter people from abusing women online but also enable us to hold them to account.
3 of 10Heidi Allen, 43, South Cambridgeshire Conservative MP
Heidi, alongside Jess Phillips, shared an emotional account of her own abortion with parliament earlier this month. In an attempt to reform Northern Ireland's abortion laws, she told the Cambridge independent that she felt she needed to share her story:'I had intended to say it because I had a feeling nobody else would.'I thought it probably needed saying.'I suppose it is very easy to make issues like that just about procedure and legislation and words and policy but, actually, it is about people's lives.'Jess Phillips too opened up about her own abortion, also sharing harrowing stories from women in Northern Ireland who had terminated pregnancies.
4 of 10Stella Creasy, 41, Walthamstow Labour MP
The original lead of cross-party calls for Northern Ireland's abortion laws to be brought in line with the rest of the UK's, Stella received tons of hate mail over her campaign to protect women's right to choose. It was in her call for debate over abortion that Heidi Allen and Jess Philips were able to talk about their own terminations.
5 of 10Penny Mourdant, 45, Portsmouth North Conservative MP
The Minister for Women and Equalities, Penny Mourdant launched the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Securitywhich calls for more women to be at the centre of the DFID's peace, security and humanitarian programmes. As secretary of state for international development, she has attempted to reform the aid sector by creating an independent safeguarding unit that prevents exploitation. This comes in the wake of a series of sex scandals against leading charities earlier this year.
6 of 10Wera Hobhouse, 58, Bath Liberal Democrat MP
Wera Hobhouse brought Gina Martin's upskirting campaign to parliament as a private members bill set to outlaw the vile crime. While the bill was subsequently blocked by two male MPs, a third reading of the bill is set to continue on the 6th of July with Gina stating 'the Government Bill will become law as it'll get through the later stages more quickly and won't be objected to.'
7 of 10Maria Miller, 54, Basingstoke Conservative MP
It was off the back of the upskirting bill that Maria Miller and Jess Phillips have met with Wera Hobhouse in an attempt to include a revenge porn amendment. It would ensure there was a blanket ban on voyeuristic images regardless of the intention in taking it, as the MPs feared people would attempt to bend the wording of the upskirting law to avoid conviction by arguing they took the image with no intention of causing distress. They also wanted to introduce an amendment that would ban false pornographic images, in which faces are photoshopped onto explicit images. However, they were told it was impossible to introduce further amendments. This comes after Love Island stars Zara McDermott and Laura Anderson became victims of revenge porn this week.
8 of 10Mhairi Black, Paisley and Renfrewshire South SNP MP
As part of the discussion about classing misogyny as a hate crime, Mhairi Black spoke out about the misogynistic and homophobic abuse she receives online every day. She also asked parliament to reflect on their own environment, stating, 'Only a few weeks ago I was physically pressed up against a Member (of Parliament) in the voting lobby who is accused of sexual misconduct because there's so little room.'Acknowledging she has the 'same right and influence as any other elected man', she spoke up for the female staff who aren't in her position.
9 of 10Melanie Onn, 39, Great Grimsby Labour MP
Leading the charge to make misogyny a hate crime, Melanie highlighted the 'link between low-level harassment of women and more serious sexual assaults' that was found by Westminster's all-party group on domestic violence. In her constituency, the rate of domestic violence is particularly high. As a result, she has called for a law change to have misogynistic acts such as wolf-whistling, leering and sexual comments in public to be made a criminal offence.
10 of 10Monica Lennon, 37, Central Scotland Scottish Labour MSP
Monica introduced a Member's Bill into Scottish parliament that would see the creation of free universal access to sanitary products. Proposing also that schools, colleges and universities provide free sanitary products in their toilets, she led the campaign that stands to end period poverty in Scotland.