London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Sue Gray: Tory MPs angry over Labour job for Partygate probe chief

Sue Gray: Tory MPs angry over Labour job for Partygate probe chief

Conservative MPs have expressed anger that Partygate investigator Sue Gray has been offered a job as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff.

The civil servant produced a highly critical report into lockdown parties under Boris Johnson that contributed to his downfall as PM.

Labour has insisted it did not approach her until after it was published.

But Mr Johnson said it raised questions over the conclusions over her inquiry, published in May last year.

"I think people may look at it in a different light," he told BBC News.

He added that he "might have cross-examined her more closely about her independence" if "you'd told me all the stuff that I now know".

He added it was "surreal" that MPs investigating whether he misled Parliament over Partygate were planning to take her inquiry into account.

It came after the committee investigating the ex-PM published an update saying it considered her report a "relevant fact" in its probe.

However, Sir Keir rejected Mr Johnson's criticism, saying he was "delighted that respected, professional individuals want to be part of what we are doing in the Labour Party".

He added that the former prime minister should "confront the evidence that is there in front of him," which he said was "pretty damning".

Asked earlier when contact had been made with Ms Gray, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said Labour had been looking for a new chief of staff "for the last two or three months".

She added that this was "well after" the civil servant's Partygate report was published.

However, Conservative MP Alexander Stafford, a former ministerial aide to Mr Johnson, said the appointment "doesn't pass the sniff test".

"It really undermines the work that she's done, undermines the civil service and really puts in question Sir Keir's complete judgement," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Former minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, a cabinet minister under Mr Johnson, has said Ms Gray's Partygate conclusions now looked "like a left-wing stitch up".

Ms Reeves defended the appointment, saying Ms Gray commanded "enormous respect across the political spectrum" and had shown the "highest integrity and standards in public life".

"It was the parties at Downing Street and Boris Johnson's behaviour that got him into trouble, not the person writing the report," she added.

Sir Keir's team appeared to be relaxed about the criticism from Tory MPs, with a source close to the Labour leader saying "it was something we expected".


'Failures of leadership'


The government confirmed on Thursday that Ms Gray has left her position as a senior official at the levelling up and housing department.

Shadow minister Lucy Powell said the Labour would not appoint her until a cooling-off period recommended by the Acoba, the government's appointments watchdog, had passed.

Under the civil service code, officials of Ms Gray's seniority should wait a minimum of three months before taking up outside employment - a period that can be extended up to two years.

Ms Gray, who joined the civil service in the 1970s, became a household name last year when she was appointed to lead an official inquiry into gatherings in government buildings during lockdown.

She was handed the role after Mr Johnson's initial choice to lead the probe, top UK civil servant Simon Case, had to step back after after it emerged an event was held in his own office.

Her report, published in May last year, found that there had been widespread rule-breaking of Covid rules within government, and criticised "failures of leadership and judgement" in Downing Street.

A separate inquiry by the Metropolitan Police led to fines for 83 people, including Mr Johnson himself, for attending law-breaking events.

The findings of Ms Gray's report were cited by a number of Tory MPs during the wave of resignations that eventually triggered Mr Johnson's decision to quit No 10 in July.

Dave Penman, the boss of the FDA union that represents civil servants, said it was "unforgivable" for Tory MPs to question Ms Gray's integrity.

He added that "minister after minister found it convenient to hide behind Sue and her unimpeachable reputation" whilst she was conducting her inquiry.

Alex Thomas, a former official who now works at the Institute for Government think tank, said Ms Gray's appointment was "unusual" and raised "tricky questions for the civil service".

He pointed out that she would not be the first civil servant to take on a political role, citing former diplomat Jonathan Powell's decision to work for former Labour PM Sir Tony Blair.

But he added: "It hasn't happened before with a civil servant who was still serving of this seniority and with the public profile and career history in the deep centre of government that Sue Gray has."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×