Sue Gray quits as Downing Street chief of staff amid ‘distraction’ fears

There person been reports of tensions successful Number 10 involving Ms Gray, including betwixt her and Sir Keir’s main advisor Morgan McSweeney, who volition win her successful the role.

In a connection connected Sunday, Ms Gray said she was “pleased to person accepted a caller relation arsenic the Prime Minister’s envoy for the regions and nations”.

In caller weeks it has go wide to maine that aggravated commentary astir my presumption risked becoming a distraction to the Government’s captious enactment of change

Sue Gray

Sir Keir thanked Ms Gray for “all the enactment she has fixed me, some successful Opposition and Government, and her enactment to hole america for authorities and get america started connected our programme of change.

“Sue has played a captious relation successful strengthening our relations with the regions and nations. I americium delighted that she volition proceed to enactment that work.”

In a statement, she said: “It has been an honour to instrumentality connected the relation of main of staff, and to play my portion successful the transportation of a Labour Government.

“Throughout my vocation my archetypal involvement has ever been nationalist service.

“However, successful caller weeks it has go wide to maine that aggravated commentary astir my presumption risked becoming a distraction to the Government’s captious enactment of change.

“It is for that crushed I person chosen to basal aside, and I look guardant to continuing to enactment the Prime Minister successful my caller role.”

Last month, it was leaked to the BBC that Ms Gray was earning much than the Prime Minister, amid a bid of briefings against her arsenic main of staff.

The broadcaster was told that Ms Gray was earning £170,000, which would enactment her connected £3,000 much than Sir Keir.

I’m not discussing idiosyncratic members of staff. I wouldn’t bash that successful narration to immoderate subordinate of staff, I’m not going to interruption that regularisation ... I deliberation that I beryllium it to each unit to respect and support them ...

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking successful September

When asked past period to remark connected the rumoured infighting betwixt Ms Gray and colleagues including Mr McSweeney, Sir Keir refused.

He said successful September: “I’m not discussing idiosyncratic members of staff. I wouldn’t bash that successful narration to immoderate subordinate of staff, I’m not going to interruption that rule. That’s not a caller regularisation for me. It’s a regularisation I had successful opposition. It’s a regularisation I had erstwhile I was manager of nationalist prosecutions, erstwhile we, from clip to time, had involvement successful elder staff.

“I deliberation that I beryllium it to each unit to respect and support them, and that means I volition ne'er sermon them successful a league similar this.”