Labour hiring Gray ‘shows report was Left-wing plot’
Partygate inquiry branded ‘stitch-up’ against Tories as civil servant becomes Starmer’s chief of staff
THE partygate inquiry has been attacked as a “plot” by allies of Boris Johnson after Sue Gray stepped down from the Civil Service to become Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff.
Downing Street confirmed that Ms Gray, who carried out the investigation into lockdown parties, resigned yester- day afternoon with immediate effect.
Labour is set to appoint her as Sir Keir’s chief of staff.
The move is hugely controversial because it was Ms Gray’s report that contributed to the resignation of Boris Johnson as prime minister.
A friend of Mr Johnson said: “Keir Starmer appointing Sue Gray as his chief of staff reveals what many have suspected all along: partygate was a deliberate and manufactured plot to oust a Brexit-backing Conservative prime minister.
“The validity of the Sue Gray investigation and its findings is now completely destroyed.
“This matter is surely a serious breach of Civil Service impartiality and there can be no doubt the Civil Service code has been breached. What was supposed to be an investigation by independent civil servants is now revealed to have been carried out by someone who ultimately would go on to work for Keir Starmer.
“What communications did Sue Gray have with Labour during this period? It leads to the inevitable conclusion that partygate was a Labour stitch-up.”
Jacob Rees-mogg said it looked as if Mr Johnson had been a victim of a “coup”.
“So much for an impartial civil service,” the former minister said.
He added: “This makes it look like a Left-wing stitch-up has effected a coup against a prime minister who won an election with a majority of 80. This announcement invalidates Sue Gray’s report. It’s not an independent report – it’s written by a Left-wing activist.”
It is understood that No10 will investigate the circumstances of Ms Gray’s resignation to ensure that she did not breach the Civil Service code. She will also be expected to abide by any restrictions imposed on her by the Acoba watchdog, which looks at what jobs former politicians and senior officials can take.
Labour said Ms Gray was a hugely experienced and respected civil servant, and that the police looked into the parties and found evidence of lawbreaking, ultimately issuing a fine.
A spokesman for Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, said: “I can confirm that Sue Gray has resigned from the post of second permanent secretary. That was accepted by the permanent secretary. We will not be commenting further on specific personal matters.”
Dave Penman, head of the FDA union representing senior civil servants said it was “unforgiveable” to question Ms Gray’s integrity during the partygate investigation.
In the wake of Ms Gray’s resignation, the permanent secretary of the Cabinet Office reminded civil servants about their duty to be impartial.
In an email, Alex Chisholm said: “You may have seen, or you may see, public speculation relating to the circumstances of Sue’s departure. I will take this opportunity to say again that as civil servants we serve the elected government of the day.
“The impartiality of the Civil Service, as embedded in our code and values, is important for our ability to continue to do so.”