Keir Starmer is accused of ‘double standards’ as it emerges he will still hire Sue Grey as his chief of staff despite an inquiry expected to find her ‘guilty’ of breaking civil service rules
- On Friday it emerged that Ms Gray, had secret talks to join Labour last October
Sir Keir Starmer was yesterday accused of ‘double standards’ as it emerged he will still hire Sue Gray despite an inquiry expected tomorrow to find her guilty of breaking civil service rules.
The Labour leader will press ahead with recruiting the former top civil servant as his chief of staff despite the Government probe.
It is expected to find that her appointment broke the civil service code after she failed to tell her bosses about Labour’s approach.
On Friday it emerged that Ms Gray, who investigated lockdown breaches in Downing Street under Boris Johnson, had secret talks to join Labour last October, five months before she quit her job, meaning she was consorting with Labour while still having access to sensitive Government information.
Ms Gray has refused to cooperate with the probe, conducted by the Cabinet Office, so it is not known how many times she spoke with Labour or what was discussed.
On Friday it emerged that Ms Gray, (pictured) who investigated lockdown breaches in Downing Street under Boris Johnson, had secret talks to join Labour last October, five months before she quit her job, meaning she was consorting with Labour while still having access to sensitive Government information
Last night a Labour spokesman dismissed the investigation: ‘Tomorrow’s statement is just a political stunt by Tory ministers who’ve run out of ideas. It’s pathetic. We’re looking forward to Sue starting in September.’
But Tory MP Peter Bone said: ‘It makes Sir Keir a hypocrite.
‘They’re clearly employing, as the person who will be joined at the hip with Keir, someone who’s broken the rules, according to the Government report.’
He said: ‘Talk about double standards.’
Mr Bone added: ‘Labour has always jumped up and down in Parliament pointing fingers at Conservative ministers who haven’t actually broken any rules, and yet they’re doing this.’ Tory MP Philip Davies said: ‘I think it’s perfectly clear she’s behaved improperly.’
On Friday, a report by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments rejected calls from Government officials to make Ms Gray wait at least a year before being able to join Labour.
Source: Read Full Article
