Cronyism row grows as two extra Labour aides land jobs in civil service

Two Labour Party staffers have been given Civil Service jobs in Downing Street, prompting yet more allegations of cronyism.

Mitchell Burns-Jackson, who previously worked for both Sir Keir Starmer and his Chief of Staff Sue Gray, has been given a key role inside No 10 as Ms Gray’s executive assistant.

Annie-Rose Peterman, who worked for Sir Keir and Emily Thornberry in opposition, has also reportedly replaced a civil servant as the Prime Minister’s diary manager.

It comes just a day after it emerged that Labour think-tank director Jess Sargeant has been made a Cabinet Office adviser on constitutional reform which is responsible for ‘ensuring the highest standards of propriety and ethics across all government departments’.

The Labour party led by Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) has been accused of cronyism

Labour Party staffers Mitchell Burns-Jackson (left) and Annie-Rose Peterman (right) have been given Civil Service jobs in Downing Street , prompting yet more allegations of cronyism

Sources insisted Ms Sargeant, who previously worked for the Institute for Government, had been hired on a fixed-term contract because of her expertise in constitutional reform.

Jess Sargeant has spent the past year as Director of Constitutional Change at Labour Together, which has close links to Sir Keir Starmer and his allies

It is said she would not be involved in any work on ethics or ministerial investigations in the unit, which is where Ms Gray once worked. 

Two business people with links to Labour donations have also been given senior roles in Government departments in recent weeks.

Former banker Ian Corfield, who gave £20,000 to MPs over the past decade, was made Director of Investment in HM Treasury.

While Emily Middleton was made a Director General in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology under Peter Kyle after her firm Public Digital gave him more than £65,000 in opposition.

Last night shadow paymaster general John Glen said: ‘The sheer number of Labour apparatchiks being parachuted into full civil service roles… threatens the civil service’s integrity.’

Sources insisted Jess Sargeant, who previously worked for the Institute for Government, had been hired on a fixed-term contract because of her expertise in constitutional reform (Stock Image)

Emily Middleton (pictured) was made a Director General in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology under Peter Kyle

Reform UK said the ‘leapfrogging’ of Labour figures to Whitehall has ‘blown apart’ the civil service’s impartiality.

A Cabinet Office spokesman refused to comment on ‘individual staffing appointments’.

But Labour sources said that previous Tory governments also gave short-term contracts to former party staffers.