• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
  • Guest Content
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Claims over partygate investigator Sue Gray ‘ludicrous’ 

Claim by Boris Johnson's backers that Sue Gray's relocation to Sir Keir Starmer's office demonstrates a conspiracy is "ludicrous"

Joseph Connor by Joseph Connor
2023-03-03 10:58
in News, Politics
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Boris Johnson’s allies are “ludicrous” to claim partygate inquisitor Sue Gray’s move to Sir Keir Starmer’s office proves a plot to oust the former prime minister, Labour has said.

Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell defended the departing senior civil servant as “impartial” and insisted she would not bring privileged official material with her.

Ms Gray will take up the role of chief of staff in the Labour leader’s office after following the “normal procedures”, which could include a recommended waiting period ultimately decided by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Arch loyalists of Mr Sunak’s predecessor in No 10 have reacted furiously to the move by the civil servant who carried out the investigation that played a role in Mr Johnson’s downfall.

Jacob Rees-Mogg suggested Ms Gray was being offered a “plum job” for “effectively destroying a prime minister and creating a coup”.

But Ms Powell told Times Radio “that’s just a ludicrous claim by Boris Johnson”, and said it “stands in stark contrast” to his own defence of Ms Gray’s impartiality during her investigation.

The Labour frontbencher argued the appointment was being used by Mr Johnson in an attempt to “vindicate himself further” after he was ousted over a series of scandals.

Asked about Conservative concerns Ms Gray could bring privileged material from Whitehall to Sir Keir’s office, Ms Powell said: “Absolutely not. And, of course, there’s no suggestion whatsoever that Sue would reveal any of that information.”

Tory backbenchers were continuing to seize on Ms Gray’s appointment, with Alexander Stafford, a former parliamentary aide to Mr Johnson, describing it as “dodgy”.

RelatedPosts

Tributes pour in as Ros Atkins presents Outside Source for final time

Sunak Zelensky snub among news items ‘leaked’ before Easter recess

Donald Trump expected to surrender next week following indictment

Donald Trump ‘indicted’ and set to be first ex-president to face criminal charge

“This really doesn’t pass the sniff test, it really undermines the work that she’s done, undermines the civil service and really puts in question Sir Keir’s complete judgment,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

The MP claimed it discredits the partygate scandal but sidestepped questions on whether Ms Gray herself had anything to do with lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street.

Presenter Nick Robinson cut him off air early after growing impatient with Mr Stafford’s refusal to answer.

Ms Gray is expected to await the decision of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) before starting the role.

Parliament’s anti-corruption watchdog can advise waiting periods before civil servants take on other jobs and the Prime Minister ultimately makes the final decision.

But Downing Street made clear that Mr Sunak cannot block her from taking a job.

Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA union representing senior civil servants, said it was “extraordinary” that Tory MPs were now trying to “smear” Ms Gray.

“She had a fearsome reputation for her integrity. She has done some of the most difficult jobs in Government,” Mr Penman told Sky News.

“I think it is really disappointing to see ministers now trying to trash that simply because she has decided to take a very different job later on in her career.”

Earlier, Nadine Dorries, who served as Mr Johnson’s culture secretary, described the Gray report as a “stitch-up” and said the reported move to Sir Keir’s office was “not surprising”.

One well-placed friend of Mr Johnson claimed the validity and findings of Ms Gray’s partygate report had been “completely destroyed”.

“Keir Starmer appointing Sue Gray as his chief of staff reveals what many have suspected all along: partygate was a deliberate and manufactured plot to oust a Brexit-backing Conservative prime minister,” the ally said.

Mr Johnson received one of the 126 fines issued by the Metropolitan Police while investigating parties in Downing Street and Whitehall that breached lockdown laws.

Ms Gray got the job as partygate enforcer after Cabinet Secretary Simon Case had to step down from the investigation when he became embroiled in claims of partying during the pandemic.

Published in May last year, her investigation detailed how officials drank so much they were sick, sang karaoke, became involved in altercations and abused security and cleaning staff.

She criticised “failures of leadership and judgment” in No 10 and said “the senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility”.

The Cabinet Office was “reviewing the circumstances” under which Ms Gray resigned on Thursday.

Related: Boris Johnson criticises Sunak’s NI deal – then recognises his own deal’s shortcomings

Content Protection by DMCA.com
Tags: Boris JohnsonSir Keir StarmerSue Gray

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending

Elevenses: Exposing the Tories’ Deepfake Illegal Immigration Bill

Elevenses: Rishi’s Finest Hour

Elevenses: Fear and Loathing in the New Conservatives

More from TLE

Asylum seeker ‘left functionally destitute’ found dead next to starving baby

Watch: Theresa May slams Braverman’s Illegal Migration Bill

UK records 23k new cases and 501 deaths in past 24 hours

Britain’s aid budget should be spent on successor to HMY Britannia – Brexiter MP says

Spoof job advert for UK prime minister is so accurate it could be real

Life sentence for white supremacist who ran over Charlottesville protestors

Saving Money Through Online Casino Welcome Bonuses

Tory whip removed from MP who beat Grayling to intelligence chair

London’s Best Casinos to Visit in 2023

Watch – Hilarious spoof trailer for the Handforth Parish Council movie

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Commercial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.