Mystery over Sue Gray as PM’s sacked aide continues to be ‘on a brief break’
The future of Sir Keir Starmer‘s ousted chief of staff Sue Gray remained unclear today as Downing Street admitted she was still on a ‘short break’.
The Prime Minister’s former top aide was announced to have left her role on 6 October following weeks of bitter briefings against her.
At the time, No10 said Ms Gray was being shuffled to a new position as Sir Keir’s envoy for the nations and regions as he conducted a ‘reset’ of his Downing Street team after just three months in office.
But, despite initial suggestions Ms Gray would take up the role immediately, it was later revealed she would be taking a ‘short break’ between the two jobs.
Ms Gray subsequently missed an inaugural gathering of the PM’s new council of nations and regions on 11 October, despite expectations she would attend.
And today, more than a fortnight on from her exit as Sir Keir’s chief of staff, Downing Street remained tight-lipped about when Ms Gray might finally start her new role.
No10 also refused to say if Ms Gray is on paid or unpaid leave, meaning it is unclear if she is still earning the £170,000 salary she was on as the PM’s top aide.
The future of Sir Keir Starmer ‘s ousted chief of staff Sue Gray remained unclear today as Downing Street admitted she was still on a ‘short break’
More than a fortnight on from her exit as Sir Keir’s chief of staff, Downing Street remained tight-lipped about when Ms Gray might finally start her new role.
No10 also refused to say if Ms Gray is on paid or unpaid leave, meaning it is unclear if she is still earning the £170,000 salary she was on as the PM’s top aide
Asked when Ms Gray might be starting work in her new envoy role, Sir Keir’s official spokesman told reporters: ‘I haven’t got an update beyond what we’ve said previously on that.’
Pressed on whether the former civil servant was still on a ‘short break’, the spokesman added: ‘That’s right. I haven’t got an update since when I previously said she was taking a short break between roles and will be taking up duties in the future.’
And quizzed whether Ms Gray was still earning a salary while having some time off, he told reporters: ‘I’m not going to get into HR issues.
‘As I say, she’s taking a short break between roles and will be taking up duties in the coming weeks.’
It has previously been reported that Ms Gray was pushing for a payoff or a bumper salary in her new role, while it has also been suggested she could be given a peerage by Sir Keir.
Her three months in No10 were marked by regular reports of tensions within Sir Keir’s top team, while it was leaked that she was earning more than the PM’s salary of £166,786.
When her exit as the PM’s chief of staff, Ms Gray said she was leaving the role because it was ‘clear to me that intense commentary around my position risked becoming a distraction’.
She has been replaced as Sir Keir’s chief of staff by Morgan McSweeney, the apparent victor in a Downing Street power struggle.
He had previously overseen Labour’s victorious general election campaign and been the PM’s top political adviser in No10.
