Sue Gray ‘was still working on Partygate team when talks with Keir Starmer began’, report reveals

Former senior servant Sue Gray held secret talks with Sir Keir Starmer while she was advising the cross-party team investigating the circumstances surrounding partygate, a report is suspected to reveal. 

Ms Gray, who led the Government investigation into allegations of parties being held in Downing Street during lockdown, is set to switch from her high-ranking Whitehall position to take a job as the Labour Party leader’s chief-of-staff. 

An update on a review into the circumstances surrounding her departure from the Civil Service is due to be presented to MPs today. Several reports have suggested Ms Gray could be found to have breached the Civil Service Code with her job move.

The report is suspected to find that Ms Gray entered into negotiations with the party while the probe into whether former PM Boris Johnson misled the Commons with his assurances that Covid rules were followed in No 10 during the pandemic was ongoing, The Daily Telegraph has claimed.

Labour denied that any approach was made while Ms Gray worked in the Cabinet Office’s ethics unit that was corresponding with the committee over its investigation into Mr Johnson.

Former senior servant Sue Gray (pictured in February 2022) held secret talks with Sir Keir Starmer while she was advising the cross-party team investigating the circumstances surrounding partygate, a report is suspected to reveal

Ms Gray advised the cross-party of MPs on the Privileges Committee about their own inquiry into whether former prime minister Boris Johnson misled the Commons with his assurances that Covid rules were followed in No 10 during the pandemic. Pictured: Mr Johnson at a gathering in No 10, which was released with the publication of Ms Gray’s partygate report

‘The propriety and ethics team handled requests from the Privileges Committee, reporting to minister for Cabinet Office, Jeremy Quin,’ a Labour source claimed yesterday. ‘Sue Gray was not working in that team.’

The Government website states that the last role Ms Gray held before her resignation earlier this year was second permanent secretary to the Cabinet Office.

She was seconded to Northern Ireland from 2018 to 2021 and before that was director general of the propriety and ethics team between 2012-18.

Her partygate probe was published in full in May last year, having been held up after the Metropolitan Police announced a separate inquiry into the allegations of lockdown-busting events.

Sir Keir, who announced the former pub landlady as his new chief-of-staff in March, looked to sidestep questions yesterday about suggestions Ms Gray may have broken the Civil Service Code in the way she entered talks with his party.

Senior Conservative allies of Mr Johnson have previously claimed that her jump from Whitehall to an Opposition political party called the Civil Service’s neutrality into question.

Ms Gray is set to switch from her high-ranking Whitehall position to take a job as the Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer’s chief-of-staff. Sir Keir is pictured on April 25

Sir Keir is thought to want Ms Gray in place to help ready his party for power should he win the next general election, which is widely expected to be held next year.

As well as a Cabinet Office probe, the anti-corruption watchdog, the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), is also reviewing the terms of Ms Gray’s departure and new job offer.

It can set recommendations for when senior people leave government, including calling for a cooling-off period to avoid any conflict of interest.

The Civil Service Code stipulates that officials of Ms Gray’s seniority must wait a minimum of three months before taking up outside employment.

But Acoba could recommend that it is a longer wait, with a maximum delay of up to two years. Acoba does not have the power to block an appointment, however.

Labour has pledged to abide by any Acoba recommendation in relation to the hiring of Ms Gray.