Samantha Cameron blasts ‘sexist’ abuse levelled at Carrie Symonds over ‘Princess Nut Nut’ nickname

Samantha Cameron has basted ‘sexist’ abuse leveled at Carrie Symonds over her ‘Princess Nut Nut’ nickname.

The 49-year-old wife of former-Prime Minister David Cameron said the criticism the PM’s fiancée received last year was ‘harsh’ and agreed that it was ‘flagrantly sexist’.

The businesswoman, who owns clothing brand Cefinn, also said it was ‘frustrating’ to deal with Brexit ‘teething issues’ as companies adopt new trading regulations.

Miss Symonds was reportedly nicknamed ‘Princess Nut Nut’ by opponents in No 10 during an extraordinary power struggle with Dominic Cummings – which resulted in the latter leaving Downing Street in November. 

Miss Symonds – herself a former government special adviser and Conservative Party head of media – was reportedly labelled a ‘princess’ for what her foes claimed was regal behaviour while the ‘nut’ is believed to be a poor-taste joke about her being ‘crazy’.  

Miss Symonds (pictured) was reportedly nicknamed 'Princess Nut Nut' by opponents in No 10 during an extraordinary power struggle with Dominic Cummings

Samantha Cameron (left) has defended Carrie Symonds (right) over her nickname ‘Princess Nut Nut’ – as she admitted her fashion firm has been hit by Brexit

Miss Symonds - herself a former government special adviser and Conservative Party head of media - was reportedly labelled a 'princess' for what her foes claimed was regal behaviour while the 'nut' is believed to be a poor-taste joke about her being 'crazy'. Pictured: Boris Johnson

Miss Symonds – herself a former government special adviser and Conservative Party head of media – was reportedly labelled a ‘princess’ for what her foes claimed was regal behaviour while the ‘nut’ is believed to be a poor-taste joke about her being ‘crazy’. Pictured: Boris Johnson

She said Prime Ministers are ‘quite able to take decisions themselves’ and thinking Mr Johnson’s partner has more influence than his advisors is ‘demeaning’ for him.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour: ‘In my view your husband or partner is the Prime Minister, they’re quite able to take decisions themselves.

‘The idea that it’s the wife, you’re somehow, you know, influencing them over and above what they think or what advice they’re getting from their team, I think it’s kind of demeaning, really, for the Prime Minister. 

‘And I don’t think any partner of the Prime Minister would ever feel that that’s the sort of position that they’re allowed to be in and I think you’re just trying to do your best, thrust into a position that he may not have been expecting.

‘In my case when I married my husband, it wasn’t a role I was expecting to be in and, and you’re not trained for it. I think that… it’s very harsh.’

The 49-year-old wife of former-Prime Minister David Cameron (pictured with their children in 2016) agreed that the criticism levied at the PM's fiancée last year was 'flagrantly sexist'

The 49-year-old wife of former-Prime Minister David Cameron (pictured with their children in 2016) agreed that the criticism levied at the PM’s fiancée last year was ‘flagrantly sexist’

She urged Miss Symonds to ‘find your own way’ and ‘do the things that you enjoy, do the things that you feel that you’re good at – and be supportive as you can to Boris’.

Addressing Brexit and the impact its having on her business, Mrs Cameron said: ‘Until they sort out some of the, I hope, teething issues, definitely trading with the EU – if you’re bringing if you’re bringing goods into the country from outside the UK, and then trying to sell them back into Europe – that currently is challenging and difficult.’

She urged Mr Johnson to ‘talk to all the businesses out there who are in a similar position to me, of which there are lots and it is the smaller businesses because we can’t afford to have warehouses in Europe and that sort of thing’.

The businesswoman (pictured with Mr Cameron), who owns clothing brand Cefinn, also said it was 'frustrating' to deal with Brexit 'teething issues' as companies adopt new trading regulations

The businesswoman (pictured with Mr Cameron), who owns clothing brand Cefinn, also said it was ‘frustrating’ to deal with Brexit ‘teething issues’ as companies adopt new trading regulations

Allies of Dominic Cummings are said to have been using a cruel 'Princess Nut Nut' nickname for Carrie Symonds (pictured with the PM last year)

Allies of Dominic Cummings are said to have been using a cruel ‘Princess Nut Nut’ nickname for Carrie Symonds (pictured with the PM last year)

She said her business may struggle to grow due to Brexit deals, and said: ‘If we can grow our business…it is frustrating, the majority of our business is in the UK and we do a bit of business in America, but we did have a bit of EU business.

‘And obviously it’s you’d like to grow it because it’s easy, it’s on your doorstep. But unless some of the expense and cost of doing that is looked at it will be challenging.’

In 2018, Mrs Cameron’s Cefinn raised £2.5million to expand with a major helping hand from a prominent Conservative donor.

David Brownlow, one of the Tory party’s biggest financial backers, was appointed a director of Mrs Cameron’s Cefinn, which lost £560,000 in its first year.

The label – founded in 2016 – was being bankrolled by Mr Brownlow’s business Havisham Investments.

Ms Symonds' adversaries are said to have used the 'Princess Nut Nut' name so much that they started using an emoji of a princess followed by two peanuts instead of words in text messages

Ms Symonds’ adversaries are said to have used the ‘Princess Nut Nut’ name so much that they started using an emoji of a princess followed by two peanuts instead of words in text messages 

Concerns have long been raised over the 'laddish' culture in Downing Street under Mr Cummings (pictured)

Concerns have long been raised over the ‘laddish’ culture in Downing Street under Mr Cummings (pictured)

The money will be used to help the business grow internationally and improve logistics.

Mr Brownlow told The Times: ‘I am joining the company in part because I like the management team. I thought they were very energetic and enthusiastic. I like the creative direction of the business. I am joining because it’s a business I like and I want to help it grow’.

But he denied his financial support was anything to do with the Tories or his links to the Camerons and said: ‘No, I am a businessman’.

Other new backers included Wendy Yu, of Hong-Kong based Yu Holdings and Philip Bassett, founder of investment firm Brightwell Partners while its original investor Venrex has also found more money to put in.

Mr Cummings carried his belongings out of No10's famous front door in a cardboard box in November

Mr Cummings carried his belongings out of No10’s famous front door in a cardboard box in November