7 OCTOBER 2024 | NEWS
The Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, Sue Gray, resigned yesterday and was replaced by Morgan McSweeney, who had previously been Sir Keir Starmer’s Chief Advisor and, like his predecessor, was key to the Labour Party’s electoral campaign.
Ms Gray will now take up the role of the Prime Minister’s Envoy for Nations and Regions. This role is a new one that is part-time, and would likely be viewed as a significant demotion.
It comes barely three months after the new Government entered office, which is viewed as quite unusual in Westminster circles. Wolves understands that this is being seen as an example of the realities of governance hitting a party that has been out of office for 14 years.
In a statement, Ms Gray said: “In recent weeks, it has become clear to me that intense commentary around my position risked becoming a distraction to the Government’s vital work of change.”
She added that her “first interest has always been public service” and that she was “pleased” to accept her new role, while Defence Secretary John Healey told the BBC “that’s why she stepped aside”.
Sir Keir himself said he was pleased that the reshuffle of roles meant Ms Gray would still be involved in government, adding that this showed his own “determination to deliver”.
The Prime Minister stated: “I want to thank Sue for all the support she has given me, both in opposition and government, and her work to prepare us for government and get us started on our programme of change.
“Sue has played a vital role in strengthening our relations with the regions and nations. I am delighted that she will continue to support that work.”
Responding, Ms Gray said: “After leading the Labour Party’s preparation for government and kickstarting work on our programme for change, I am looking forward to drawing on my experience to support the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to help deliver the Government’s objectives across the nations and regions of the UK.
“In addition to building a close partnership with devolved governments, I am delighted this new role will mean continuing to work alongside and support the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the Mayors on English devolution.”
A row had blown up in Westminster after details of her £170,000 annual salary were leaked to the BBC, which is slightly higher than the PM’s own salary. Following their report, it is understood in Labour Party circles that there was a great deal of anger regarding this, especially as Ms Gray was said not to have made much effort to raise the salary of other types of Special Advisor staff.
It is also understood in Westminster that there had been significant tensions at the top of Government about Ms Gray’s role and her powers, with one source accusing her of “micro-management” that was infuriating other senior figures.
This, alongside the disclosure of her salary, was said to have forced the Prime Minister to conclude on Friday that her position in Downing Street was now untenable. Her new role will keep her close to the PM, though to a far lesser extent.
Ms Gray was also the chief investigator into the ‘Partygate’ revelations that played a significant part in the downfall of former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson. She later controversially applied for and was accepted as the Chief of Staff to then-Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer, leading some to question her impartiality.
The row in the highest circles of Number 10 bears some hallmarks of the rancour that arose between Dominic Commings, who was Chief Advisor to Mr Johnson from 2019-2020, and the latter’s partner, Carrie Symonds. Ms Johnson (now married to the former PM) had also been a former Special Advisor in Downing Street.
Rumours of a power struggle had been swirling in Westminster prior to yesterday’s announcement, which had been widely anticipated, but its timing had not. Labour Party sources have said, however, that the development was “inevitable”, given what was understood to have been a growing rift between Gray and McSweeney over Downing Street’s operations.
The Prime Minister has consequently reorganised his top team of advisors, with new appointments including James Lyons, who was formerly a political journalist and will now lead a new ‘strategic communications team’. He will report to Matthew Doyle, a long-standing Director of Communications for Sir Keir.
The ‘grid’ – otherwise known as the Government’s list of upcoming announcements – will now be under his team’s control, as opposed to Ms Gray’s in her former role, which had been viewed as controversial in Downing Street since the new Government took office.
Further appointments are understood to include Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson as Deputy Chiefs of Staff, with Nin Pandit to become the PM’s Principal Private Secretary (PPS).
Ms Pandit had previously been the Director of Number 10’s Policy Unit for around two years.
