Sue Gray to be Starmer’s Chief of Staff

MaizieD - my error, I should have said Civil SerVANT move.

There is no gardening leave arranged. There are rules about outside posts being taken, one of which is a period between a civil service post and outside employment that may not be apolitical (in general). As previously a SCS, she’d be keen for such separation I’d imagine.

She’s just retired - age 65.

Good to see an older woman still employable at such a high level.

Ilovecheese

I don't doubt her integrity or impartiality but this appointment will make it easier for partygate to be brushed aside. A lucky break for Boris Johnson.

The only break for Johnson will be if Sunak dissolves parliament.

Ilovecheese

I don't doubt her integrity or impartiality but this appointment will make it easier for partygate to be brushed aside. A lucky break for Boris Johnson.

I think her appointment will just move us on to getting the job done instead of arranging to keep the poor poor and offering them circuses.

What the ERG make of it is already looking pretty childish and will hopefully make them easier to forget until their true place in history is written. As Mazie has said, the Johnson story has already been rewritten. However, one day he will not be able to control it. That is when he, and his reputation, will get their comeuppance and the true Conservatives rise a little from the ashes of their own making.

Ilovecheese

I don't doubt her integrity or impartiality but this appointment will make it easier for partygate to be brushed aside. A lucky break for Boris Johnson.

I don’t agree, because her report contains factual evidence, emails, records of meetings, accounts given by MPs and civil servants. It was used in the police investigation. It can be relied on - but of course Johnson and co. will try to use her appointment to their advantage. They are no doubt as sick as parrots about it, because the chances are she knows a huge amount that wasn’t in the report as well.

The DM is stirring over Sue Gray in order to convince some, maybe all of its readers that the LP was in part responsible for Johnson's downfall. We should not forget that Dacre is hoping for a peerage and the editor for a knighthood in Johnson's resignation honours list.

Dacre is also worried about Starmer's proposed attack on non dom status. We musn't forget that the main reason for Brexit was the changes to EU tax laws that were to be introduced in January 2020 which would have affected the ERG and their cohorts. Nothing to do with sovereignty and immigration and £350 million per week to the NHS which we were all told would be good for us.

I don't doubt her integrity or impartiality but this appointment will make it easier for partygate to be brushed aside. A lucky break for Boris Johnson.

So Sue Gray has resigned from the Civil Service, taking with her what has been called by those who have worked with her a "fearsome reputation for integrity'.

We are seeing something akin to paranoia from the far-right and their supporters. However, some in the Conservative party know better and do not insult their own integrity by insulting Ms Gray's. I hope Sunak is one of them, and we don't hear the little boy insults he can be inclined to, although I feel this is when he is told to do so. Keeping his own counsel in this instance would be a better look.

Like many companies, the Civil Service will put a "break" period in place. Like many companies, the Labour Party will, I am sure, be prepared to wait for the right person.

Sue Gray's appointment speaks of a party prepared to get down to the everyday grind of making things better for all, in the most efficient way possible. If we get such a government, that would be so much better, for so many more. Better than a government that has been a plaything and ego builder for some on the extreme right. Better than a government that sets out to make people do what the state dictates. It could be a government that makes available the variety of opportunities the people need will grow the country, and its economy and spread its wealth. Others have yet to convince me they come anywhere near that.

The Tories are claiming partiality when Gray produced the partygate report.

They're also doing their usual truth twisting job in claiming that it was partygate that did for Johnson.

Which it wasn't. It was his refusal to sack a known serial sex pest that had the Cabinet resigning en masse

I recall reading about Sue Gray well before any association with partygate.

She seemed to be a rather sinister sort of figure. The ultimate power in government..

conservativehome.com/2017/11/15/profile-sue-gray-civil-servant-and-the-most-powerful-woman-in-britain/

And, from even earlier (2015):

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33431580

An extraordinary appointment, really. And however cross other senior civil servants might be, I think she will know exactly what she can and can't do.

The Tories are claiming partiality when Gray produced the partygate report.

Absolute nonsense.

Every civil servant will have, like the rest of the U.K. population a political party it favours.

The point with civil servants is that they act impartially in their working life, they soon sink if they fail to do so, and Gray was chosen at the time by the Tory party because she was well known for her integrity etc.

The Tories would be hard pushed to prove otherwise with Gray.

Glorianny

Interestingly they are also banned from lobbying the government for 2 years
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/explainer/jobs-after-government-rules-ex-ministers-and-civil-servants

Not necessarily. Sue Gray wasn't a Permanent Secretary or DG. The appointment is being scrutinised by Acoba.

Why her? Because she is well known for her integrity and honesty. The other important factor is that she knows her way around Whitehall and all the government departments which will assist new ministers.

She will survive the civil servants annoyance I’m sure, but I suspect that the annoyance is not so bad as the Daily Mail would have you believe.

Of course Starmer factored in the “garden leave” - that would have been a consideration when he was thinking of offering her the job. Her value will be particularly important once and if labour are in government, so plenty of time.

Interestingly they are also banned from lobbying the government for 2 years
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/explainer/jobs-after-government-rules-ex-ministers-and-civil-servants

Whitewavemark2

Apparently Starmer has factored in a period of “gardening leave” for Gray, because he guessed the Tories would cut up rough and that Sunak would delay her departure.

He hasn't factored in anything. It is a condition imposed on senior civil servants that they leave a period of three months between quitting the service and taking up any new post. Which makes you wonder why on earth did Starmer appoint someone who can't do the ob for three months?
It isn't only Tories who are upset, many senior civil servants feel she has breeched a code which has kept the civil service out of politics. That any civil servant should remain neutral until after they have left the service. They are very annoyed with her.
I just wonder why her? There must be heaps of other well qualified people who could start earlier and don't have quite so much baggage.

Apparently Starmer has factored in a period of “gardening leave” for Gray, because he guessed the Tories would cut up rough and that Sunak would delay her departure.

I think that it clearly shows - knowing Gray’s reputation - that Starmer is serious about MPs behaviour and discipline and will not tolerate under any circumstances the sort of shenanigans we’ve seen in the Tory party and which has lead to so much law breaking and corruption.

Starmer will then be able to focus on the country and it’s enormous needs and not get bogged down by the troops on the ground.

What a glorious change that will be.

Relevant to what I've just posted above, this article gives details of ex cvil servants jobs)

www.civilserviceworld.com/in-depth/article/where-do-excivil-servants-go-when-they-leave-government

Whitewavemark2

Someone of complete integrity.

Starmer is getting all his ducks in order for government.

I'm glad. Its clear Starmer is very serious in putting integrity very seriously.

Do you doubt her integrity, Urms? (unaggressive genuine question, as there has been absolutely no evidence in anyway that she acted in anything but a proper way. and other ex civil servants take posts in politically sensitive places, why not her?)

ExperiencedNotOld

I don’t know what all the excitement is about. A classic senior civil service move.

Is it a civil service move?
I thought she'd left.

DURING LOCKDOWN

Is Sue Gray, David Gray's wife?
Or was she brought in to deal with the Strife
When Johnson didn't adhere to rules
and used a suitcase as an alcohol mule

I don’t know what all the excitement is about. A classic senior civil service move.

A conflict of interests (and biases) though perhaps?
I thought the Civil Service was supposed to be apolitical?
(hollow laugh)

It sounds an excellent appointment. Reece Smug up in medieval outrage, saying this proves she was anti Johnson. Hah