EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Carrie Johnson calls on Olympics hosts to end ivory trade 

While Boris Johnson tries to bask in Team GB's Olympic golden glory, his wife Carrie is risking a diplomatic incident with the Games' hosts, Japan.

I hear that animal rights campaigner Carrie has lent her support to a drive by America's former First Lady, Hillary Clinton, who is demanding that Japan ends ivory imports while staging the Olympics.

Bill Clinton's wife has implored the Japanese government to ban the trade 'as the world watches the Tokyo Olympics'. Most ivory comes from elephants, which are cruelly poached to support the popular trade.

Friends of Carrie tell me she has contacted the former Secretary of State, congratulating her and endorsing the campaign.

'She much admires Hillary Clinton,' one tells me, adding: 'She's pleased that other countries may follow the UK's example and ban the ivory trade.' 

Carrie, 33, who works for Damian Aspinall's conservation charity, has also given a small public show of support by 'liking' a tweet promoting the campaign.

Formerly head of communications for the Conservative Party, Carrie has been credited with pressuring the Government to pass the Ivory Act, which will ban the import and trade of ivory in this country.

Carrie has targeted Japan before, urging its government to end the 'cruel' and 'barbaric' killing of whales and dolphins.

And last month, she came under fire from the Kenyan government because the charity she works for announced plans to relocate 13 elephants to the East African country amid great fanfare. 

Officials claimed that Aspinall never asked permission to send them over. However, the parties later reconciled and said it was all a misunderstanding.

A Downing Street spokesman denies that Mrs Johnson has been in touch with Hillary Clinton but confirms she 'liked' the tweet.

Bragg fury over developer threatening his love-nest 

Having finally married his younger lover, Melvyn Bragg had hoped to live out his days in wedded bliss at the North London home he bought 42 years ago.

But his idyll has been shattered by his Hampstead neighbour announcing plans to demolish two garages and build a four-storey, six-bedroom house that would dwarf Bragg's multi- million-pound property.

'I believe this development would tower over my home, thereby completely changing its character and ambience for ever,' the distinguished broadcaster says.

'When I bought [my home], two of my priorities were light and privacy. The drawings on the website show that these two aspects would be severely affected — and these are not my only objections.'

The host of Radio 4's In Our Time, who lives with his wife, Gabriel, adds: 'I have consulted a heritage expert. His initial reaction was that the proposed development is 'outrageous'.'

A spokesman for his neighbour, property investor Alon Melek, tells me: 'We are aware of the views of the immediate neighbours and are looking at ways to ensure that we can mitigate the impact on existing homes.'

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