Labour bigwigs urge Keir Starmer to U-turn over his appointment of Sue Gray as his chief of staff… as photo emerges of her son at Sinn Fein event
- Sir Keir is said to be considering an ‘elegant withdrawal’ from Sue Gray plan
- Read more: Keir Starmer has been talking to Sue Gray about job for ‘months’
Sir Keir Starmer is being urged by senior Labour figures to U-turn on appointing Partygate investigator Sue Gray as his Chief of Staff, the Mail on Sunday has been told.
The news of Ms Gray’s appointment caused a stir earlier this month, with supporters of Boris Johnson saying that it proved her probe into his behaviour in Downing Street during the pandemic was a ‘cynical stitch-up’ by his political opponents.
It came against the backdrop of privately voiced concerns about Ms Gray, with officials speculating about whether she had been leaking information to Labour – something her friends categorically deny.
But last night a senior Labour source said that Sir Keir was being urged to perform an ‘elegant withdrawal’ from the plan.
The source said: ‘Keir is probably the only person left who still likes the idea.
The news of Ms Gray’s appointment caused a stir earlier this month, with supporters of Boris Johnson saying that it proved her probe into his behaviour in Downing Street during the pandemic was a ‘cynical stitch-up’
A senior Labour source said that Sir Keir was being urged to perform an ‘elegant withdrawal’ from the plan
‘There is only one way out of this mess. She has to announce that she has decided to withdraw from consideration because of the time it will take for her appointment to receive official approval, and he then declares that she will instead be his Chief Ethical Adviser in Government. And he should time it to be buried under another big news event.’
This newspaper reported last week that Ms Gray and Sir Keir have known each other for more than a decade, and Ms Gray’s son, Liam Conlon, has posed for pictures with him.
Mr Conlon, the Labour Party Irish Society chairman, was snapped with Sir Keir in April 2020. They were pictured together again in March 2022, two months before Ms Gray’s report was published in full.
Now a new picture has emerged of Mr Conlon at a Friends of Sinn Fein event in 2021, raising fresh questions about her political leanings.
The MoS understands Government sources deny claims Ms Gray tried to alert Cabinet Secretary Simon Case about her new job before the news was leaked, saying there is no record of any such attempt.
They are also frustrated that Ms Gray failed to attend a meeting with Mr Case on Monday.
It can also be revealed Ms Gray organised a secret meeting with one of Boris Johnson’s senior allies shortly before the publication of her Partygate report, smuggling him in in order to send Mr Johnson a message.
Mr Conlon, the Labour Party Irish Society chairman, was snapped with Sir Keir in February 2020
Picture posted in 2018 of Sue Gray and her son with the Labour politicians Tessa Jowell and Baroness Lawrence
Supporters of Boris Johnson said the job offer proved her probe into his behaviour in Downing Street during the pandemic was a ‘cynical stitch-up’ by his political opponents (file image)
A source said: ‘Sue wanted Boris to know that he wasn’t to regard her report as being primarily critical of him. She asked for it to be communicated that, to her mind, he had been badly let down by his officials.
‘Her main criticism was aimed at Simon Case and Martin Reynolds [the former Prime Minister’s Principal Private Secretary]’.
Ms Gray declined to comment.
But a spokesperson for the Labour leader said: ‘Nobody has asked Keir Starmer to do anything other than continue to support Sue Gray joining the team as chief of staff.
‘If her appointment is approved, then we will gain someone of great experience and integrity to deliver our missions for a better Britain.’
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