Sue Gray 'could have been sacked from civil service' after Labour move
Sir Keir Starmer’s new chief of staff Sue Gray ‘could have been sacked from civil service’ after jumping ship to Labour ‘according to new inquiry’
- Cabinet Office report says Sue Gray ‘fell short’ of the Civil Service code
- READ MORE: Sue Gray ‘cleared by watchdog to become Starmer’s chief of staff’
The top civil servant poached by Sir Keir Starmer to be his new chief of staff did breach Whitehall impartiality rules, it was reported last night.
An official Cabinet Office inquiry is said to have concluded that Sue Gray could have been sacked had she not already quit the Civil Service.
The Sunday Telegraph reported that the inquiry, signed off by Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, had concluded that Ms Gray ‘fell short’ of the requirements of the Civil Service code and her employment contract when she quietly took part in talks about joining Labour’s top team.
The Tories have previously questioned whether Sir Keir’s poaching of Ms Gray had ‘undermined the rules and the impartiality of the Civil Service’.
Reports say the official inquiry, dated April 27 and understood to have been written by Darren Tierney, Ms Gray’s successor as director general of propriety, concluded Ms Gray ‘fell short’ of Civil Service Code requirements relating to ‘integrity, openness and impartiality’.
An official Cabinet Office inquiry is said to have concluded that Sue Gray (pictured) could have been sacked had she not already quit the Civil Service
Sue Gray, who was poached by Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) to be his new chief of staff did breach Whitehall impartiality rules, it was reported last night
The inquiry, signed off by Cabinet Secretary Simon Case (pictured), had concluded that Ms Gray ‘fell short’ of the requirements of the Civil Service code
Sir Keir has previously said he was ‘confident she hasn’t broken any rules’.
READ MORE: Sue Gray ‘is cleared by appointments watchdog to become Keir Starmer’s chief of staff this autumn’
This report came after the appointments watchdog Acoba gave Ms Gray the green light light to take the job with Labour earlier this month after six months’ gardening leave from the civil service.
The Cabinet Office had wanted Ms Gray blocked for a year from joining Sir Keir with an extra six month ban from contacting anyone in Whitehall.
Labour confirmed in March that Ms Gray had been offered the key role with Sir Keir, pending the recommendation from Acoba – chaired by Conservative former Cabinet minister Lord Pickles.
But Tories cried foul demanding to know when the mandarin had first been approach by Sir Keir.
Boris Johnson has argued that Ms Gray’s political connection might undermine the ongoing Privileges Committee investigation into Partygate.
Labour wanted a senior figure with deep knowledge of Whitehall to help with preparations for going into government, should the party win the general election next year.
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