Labour warned over Gray cash
LABOUR has been warned not to use taxpayers’ cash to pay for civil servant Sue Gray’s gardening leave before she becomes Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff.
The resignation of Ms Gray – who led the probe into Covid rule-breaking “Partygate” under ex-pm Boris Johnson – has sparked outrage.
Former Tory party co-chairwoman Amanda Milling has written to the Labour leader, asking that the public money the party receives, so-called Short Money, is not used to cover her leave.
She states: “I share the deep concerns expressed by many about this appointment, including the wider British public.
“It makes a mockery of the impartiality of the civil service and is hugely damaging to public trust in politics.
“However, more than that, I’m very concerned the British
taxpayer will be expected to pay for her gardening leave. This would set a dangerous precedent, whereby the public are effectively subsidising Labour to recruit senior civil servants.”
The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, which vets jobs taken up by senior civil servants, is reportedly likely to recommend a “relatively short” period of gardening leave.
There is growing alarm among Conservatives that Ms Gray – who was directorgeneral for propriety and ethics in the
Cabinet Office from
2012 to 2018 – knows sensitive details on them.
A minister said:
“I have told her about all my business interests, where members of my family are employed and have answered all sorts of questions.”
Alex Thomas, of the Institute for Government, said: “It is important that Gray and Starmer properly follow the ‘revolving door’ rules and are upfront about when talks began.”
A Labour Party spokesman said: “Perhaps Amanda Milling can explain why taxpayers are on the hook for all of Johnson’s Partygate legal fees while he earns millions on the speaking circuit.”