Sue Gray quits as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff
Sue Gray quits as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff
Sue Gray resigns as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff. Sue Gray with Sir Keir Starmer in the background. Sue Gray resigned as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff because she "risked becoming a distraction."
Earn Money Online Now Click Here
Following the revelation by BBC News that her salary was higher than Sir Keir's and donations from Lord Waheed Alli, she had become embroiled in arguments regarding pay.
A spokesperson for Downing Street confirmed that Ms. Gray, who rose to prominence as the Partygate investigator, would be assuming a new position as the prime minister's envoy for nations and regions.
Morgan McSweeney, who previously served as the prime minister's chief adviser and oversaw Labour's general election campaign, was said by Labour to take her place.
Why was it likely that Sue Gray would leave? Who is Sue Gray, the former adviser of Keir Starmer?
The significance of learning about Sue Gray's salary Ms. Gray stated that it had been an honor to "play my part in the delivery of a Labour government" while serving as Sir Keir's chief of staff, both in opposition and in No. 10.
She stated, "However, in recent weeks it has become clear to me that intense commentary surrounding my position risked becoming a distraction from the government’s vital work of change."
Earn Money Online Now Click Here
"I have decided to step aside as a result, and I am looking forward to continuing to support the prime minister in my new role."
Sir Keir expressed his gratitude to Ms. Gray for her work and said that he was "delighted" that she would continue to work alongside him in her new position. He added that the change demonstrated his "determination to deliver."
According to BBC Breakfast, Defence Secretary John Healey, Ms. Gray stated that she had become a distraction to the government's work and "that’s why she stepped aside."
Earn Money Online Now Click Here
He said that the government's center had been "the lightning conductor for wider criticism" before, and this was not the first time.
Eventually, people realize how difficult government is. Healey continued, "They evaluate governments based on their actions rather than their words."
Ms. Gray had been the subject of intense internal briefings and criticism in a government that had not yet completed its first 100 days in office.
Because of that level of dysfunction, Sir Keir was aware that something had to change.
PA Media Sue Gray wears a navy blouse with white spots, a small beaded navy necklace, and a navy jacket in a Downing Street office. She grins slightly. PA Media She skipped this month's Labour Party conference, despite being by Sir Keir's side throughout the event last year.
The event, on the other hand, was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Lord Alli's clothing donations, for which she reportedly authorized a temporary Downing Street pass.
Earn Money Online Now Click Here
In a sign of their ire toward her, high-ranking government officials were willing to provide the BBC with confidential information about her salary.
That was in part because the team's special advisers were unhappy about the lack of contracts following the election victory and were asked to accept pay cuts.
However, many ministers in the cabinet remained steadfast to Ms. Gray.
Just a few weeks ago, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner asserted that Ms. Gray was being "demonized" in the media and defended her "exceptional" work without being able to respond. The "gendered" nature of the attacks bothered other ministers.
Even though supporters argued that Ms. Gray could remain detached from Labour's internal disputes as a career civil servant, one government insider claimed that Labour's right wing was "grinding away at her" precisely because they were dissatisfied with the fact that a career civil servant was in charge.
The prime minister has made four other appointments in addition to promoting Mr. McSweeney, the most notable of which is the hiring of a lead for strategic communications.
Angela Rayner, PA Media Deputy Prime Minister, has previously defended Sue Gray. James Lyons was appointed as a strategic communications lead after several sources privately expressed dissatisfaction with Downing Street's communication strategy.
Before joining TikTok and the NHS, Mr. Lyons was a political journalist for the Sunday Times and the Daily Mirror.
In addition, Sir Keir now has two new deputy chiefs of staff, Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson. He also has a new principal private secretary, Nin Pandit, who is an important part of the civil service for every prime minister.
Ms. Cuthbertson, a Labour veteran who previously worked for Ed Miliband and Gordon Brown, has been promoted alongside Ms. Alakeson, a civil servant who previously held positions in opposition and in No. 10 for Labour.
Ms. Gray is a "great public servant," according to John McTernan, Tony Blair's former director of political operations, and she would be better suited to her new nations and regions position.
He stated to BBC News, "The truth is, it's really hard to run things at the top when you have a political role if you don't come up in politics."
In an interview with Radio 4's The World this Weekend, Lord Gavin Barwell said that Ms. Gray had "made the right judgment" to step down from her position. Lord Gavin Barwell worked with Ms. Gray as chief of staff to the former prime minister, Theresa May.
He stated, "On a personal level, I've worked closely with Sue... and she is an incredibly dedicated public servant. I feel for her. But I think she's made the right decision, which is that when you're in this kind of job, once you become the story, it becomes very difficult to do the job." He also mentioned that he had worked closely with Sue.
Earn Money Online Now Click Here
According to the Conservative peer, "because No 10 hasn't been right we've had government by Treasury, too much doom and gloom," the No. 10 strategy Sir Keir has implemented since becoming prime minister.
"He’s got to get the second iteration of his No 10 operation right if he’s going to recover some of the political ground he’s lost over the last couple of months," he said, adding that today was a "crucial moment for the prime minister."
Earn Money Online Now Click Here
BBC News is the source of this News Content.
October 07, 2024, 04:24 am