Sir Keir Starmer recently refused to respond to inquiries regarding whether Sue Gray will actually assume her new position after being removed as his chief of staff. The Prime Minister declined to comment on speculations suggesting that Ms. Gray may not proceed with becoming his envoy to the nations and regions. His lack of confirmation has fueled rumors that she might ultimately resign after losing a power struggle with Morgan McSweeney.
Earlier this month, Downing Street announced that Ms. Gray would transition to the newly established role after stepping down as Sir Keir’s chief of staff. It was later stated that she is currently on a short break but is expected to commence her new duties in the near future. However, the government has not disclosed the specifics of her responsibilities or whether it is a paid position. There is a growing belief that the former civil servant, who previously earned a £170,000 salary as chief of staff, may never assume the new role.
When questioned about Ms. Gray’s future, Sir Keir responded, “I’m not going to talk about individual members of staff. I never have, and I’m not going to now.” Ms. Gray was replaced by Mr. McSweeney, a longstanding political advisor to Sir Keir, following reports of dysfunction within No 10. The Prime Minister took action after a series of negative briefings, including leaks about her salary exceeding his own, rendered her position unsustainable.
Furthermore, criticisms were raised by ministers and MPs regarding the lack of political direction within Downing Street during Ms. Gray’s tenure. She was faulted for an allegedly slow and unconvincing response to accusations of cronyism and the controversy surrounding gifts received by senior ministers. Sir Keir’s supporters have stated that the revamped No 10 will enhance the government’s messaging and concentrate on fulfilling Labour’s five core missions.
In response to inquiries about the improvements since Ms. Gray’s departure, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with his current team. Ms. Gray has not made any public appearances since the announcement on October 6th that she would be stepping down from her position after less than 100 days in office.