Minister urges Keir Starmer to publish messages with Sue Gray as Partygate investigator ‘insists talks on chief of staff job have only been happening for weeks’
- Chris Heaton-Harris stressed that he believes Sue Gray is a ‘lady of integrity’
A minister today urged Keir Starmer to publish details of his contacts with Sue Gray – amid claims she will tell a government watchdog she has only been in talks about the chief of staff job for ‘weeks’.
The Partygate investigator is said to be formally notifying the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) tomorrow that she intends to take up the political post.
The step comes amid a rising clamour from Tories for the move to be blocked to avoid ‘poiticising’ the civil service.
Boris Johnson’s allies have also insisted that Ms Gray’s new allegiance taints the findings of her probe into lockdown-busting bashes in Whitehall.
That evidence is being used in a Commons Privileges Committee report into whether the ex-PM misled Parliament – which could potentially leave him facing a by-election.
In interviews this morning, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris urged Sir Keir to ‘help out’ his new key aide by being transparent about their contacts.
Mr Heaton-Harris acknowledged that having held long-standing duties over propriety in government Ms Gray would have a great deal of sensitive information.
But he told Sky News’ Ridge on Sunday programme: ‘I truly believe she is a lady of integrity so I’m not worried about that.’
Sue Gray is expected to tell a government watchdog she has only been in talks with Labour over becoming Keir Starmer’s chief of staff for ‘weeks’
Boris Johnson’s (left) allies have insisted that Ms Gray’s new allegiance to Keir Starmer (right) taints the findings of her probe into lockdown-busting bashes in Whitehall
Sir Keir has so far dodged questions about when conversations began with Ms Gray, who is awaiting Acoba’s decision before accepting the role.
Mr Heaton-Harris said: ‘This is where Keir can help out his new chief of staff by just publishing all the messages and things he might have had with her at that point in time.
‘I’ve dealt with Sue Gray in the Northern Ireland Office as a civil servant.
‘I see her as a woman of integrity as well. So I have no issue with that.
‘I think Keir can clear this up in seconds by saying this is what we talked about at that time, there’s nothing to see here.’
According to the Sunday Times, Ms Gray will tell the watchdog that talks were happening with Labour ‘several weeks’ – instead of the months that has been speculated by some.
Acoba can recommend waiting periods before civil servants take on other jobs, with the PM taking the final decision.
Over the weekend Labour chairwoman Anneliese Dodds rejected the suggestion that the move was a ‘distraction’ from the Privileges Committee inquiry as she insisted that all necessary procedures would be followed.
‘Sue Gray is a person of enormous integrity. Someone who served in the civil service under ministers of a number of parties actually, someone who’s always served with that integrity’, she told Sky News.
‘I’m really delighted she’s joining the Labour team at that point where we’re readying ourselves for government if the British public backs us at the next general election.
‘What’s important to us as Labour, as ever, is that we see the same rules and approaches being applied to this, as she would see with any other appointment. That’s why the civil service procedures on confidentiality will be followed.
In interviews this morning, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris played down concerns that Ms Gray could use inside knowledge from government as Sir Keir’s chief of staff
‘It’s why the civil service watchdog Acoba will need to look at this, just as it would with any other appointment, and it’s quite right those procedures will be followed. They will be for Sue Gray, just as they would be for any other senior civil servant.’
But former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith questioned the wisdom of the move.
‘There needs to be a much clearer sense for civil servants that once you go into politics it’s a different game altogether,’ he told Times Radio.
‘You have to therefore have a big break between taking off from your job and going in, particularly if you’re senior.’
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