Starmer's ex-chief of staff Sue Gray 'decided not to take up' PM's job offer

Former civil servant and Chief of Staff, Sue Gray, has turned down the role of Prime Ministerial go-between to the devolved governments and English regions. ITV News' Political Correspondent Shehab Khan reports

Keir Starmer's former chief of staff, Sue Gray, has "decided not to take up the role" of envoy to the nations and regions, No 10 has confirmed.

The former Partygate investigator quit as the prime minister's most powerful aide almost six weeks ago after finding herself at the centre of a power struggle within the Labour administration.

Since then, she has been on a "short break" between roles following intense scrutiny in the media with no clear timeline from No 10 on when she might return and start the new job.

On Tuesday, it emerged that she will no longer be taking up the role as planned - despite her confirming her new part-time job in her resignation statement in October.

According to the Guardian, sources close to Gray claim she rejected the job after discovering Starmer was planning to withdraw the offer before she'd taken it up. This was neither confirmed or denied by No 10.

Asked whether the offer was rescinded or if Gray walked away, a Number 10 spokeswoman said: “As we said at the time, the appointment had been agreed and you had the focus for the new role and the original statements from both the prime minister and Sue Gray.

“Subsequent to that, we confirmed that she was taking a break between roles and taking up duties and, as I said, I can update that she has since decided not to take up the role.”

Downing Street said there were “no plans” for further updates on whether the envoy position might be taken up by someone else.

The spokeswoman said: “We will keep that role under review in terms of ensuring we have the right processes and support in place for the prime minister, deputy prime minister and CDL (Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster), given the priority that we place on the regions and nations."

Gray would have acted as a go-between for ministers with devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and regional mayors across England.

But her future in the job was soon cast into doubt when she didn't attend the first summit between the government and leaders from Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the English regions the week after her role was announced.

Asked why there were no plans to fill the role given it was previously described as “vital” to the government, No 10 said Gray had been “uniquely placed” to hold the position and repeated that the role would be kept “under review”.

The former aide resigned from government in early October following reports of an internal row over pay and alleged blocking and delaying government appointments.

Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.

Labour’s head of political strategy, Morgan McSweeney, was then appointed Starmer's chief of staff.

Gray said she was standing down because it had “become clear to me that intense commentary around my position risked becoming a distraction to the government’s vital work of change” but said she was looking forward to her new role.

In a written statement at the time, Starmer thanked her for her work and for "all the support" she had given him, adding: “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.”

In the same written statement, Gray had said: “I am pleased to have accepted a new role as the Prime Minister’s envoy for the regions and nations...

"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".

Gray first became a public figure when as a top civil servant she spearheaded the report into the Partygate scandal of Boris Johnson’s ministry.

In March 2023, she resigned from the civil service to take up the chief of staff role for Starmer, and was subject to a six-month wait before she was able to begin working for the new Labour Government.

Have you heard our podcast Talking Politics? Tom, Robert and Anushka dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda in every episode...