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

Sue Gray has discontinue arsenic the Downing Street main of staff, citing fears she was “becoming a distraction” to Sir Keir Starmer’s government.

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”, and Sir Keir thanked her for her support.

The partygate study writer has been a high-profile fig successful Sir Keir’s apical squad since she was appointed arsenic main portion Labour were successful absorption past year. But successful caller weeks, Number 10 has been plagued by reports of infighting, arsenic rows implicit Ms Gray’s wage and Government freebies person been among those that person dominated the headlines.

In the statement, Ms Gray 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 career, 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.

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

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer

“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.”

Sir Keir thanked Ms Gray for “all the enactment she has fixed me, some successful absorption 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,” helium added.

Ms Gray’s departure has triggered a wider reshuffle of the Downing Street operation. She volition beryllium replaced arsenic main of unit by Morgan McSweeney, 1 of the cardinal figures successful Labour’s predetermination run who is reported to person clashed with Ms Gray.

Political manager astatine Number 10 Vidhya Alakeson and manager of authorities relations Jill Cuthbertson person been promoted to lawman chiefs of staff.

Nin Pandit, manager of the Downing Street Policy Unit, has been appointed parliamentary backstage caput to the Prime Minister, and erstwhile writer James Lyons volition articulation to caput up a caller strategical communications team, Downing Street said.

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.

Sue Gray was brought successful to present a programme for authorities and each we’ve seen successful that clip is simply a authorities of self-service

Tory Party spokesperson

It comes little than 100 days since Sir Keir walked into Downing Street arsenic Prime Minister, and the Conservatives person described the concern arsenic “chaos”.

A Tory Party spokesperson said: “In less than 100 days, Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Government has been thrown into chaos – helium has mislaid his main of unit who has been astatine the centre of the ungraded the Labour Party has been engulfed by.

“Sue Gray was brought successful to present a programme for authorities and each we’ve seen successful that clip is simply a authorities of self-service.”