Sue Gray resigned from her role as the UK Government’s Chief of Staff on 6 October amid backlash and alleged power struggles in Downing Street.
Her resignation follows controversy around her salary and the acceptance of ‘freebies’ by senior Labour politicians, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declaring more than £100,000 worth of gifts.
She has been replaced by the Head of Political Strategy, Morgan McSweeney, who led Labour’s 2024 general election campaign and Keir Starmer’s successful leadership bid.
In a statement, Gray said:
“Intense commentary around my position risked becoming a distraction to the government’s vital work of change.”
Having joined the civil service in 1975, Gray became a household name in 2021 when she was appointed to investigate parties held in Downing Street during lockdown.
Gray left this Civil Service in March 2023 to become Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff during his time as Leader of the Opposition.
The recent criticism towards Gray began last month when a leak to the BBC revealed that her salary was £170,000 – £3,000 higher than the Prime Minister’s.
This provoked a backlash against Gray from some Special Political Advisors (SPADs) who have complained about being paid less than their Conservative predecessors.
Coming amidst media briefings of fractious relationships in the government, it has been alleged that the leak was politically motivated.
There have been allegations of tension between Gray and McSweeney.
Weeks before her resignation, one cabinet minister reportedly told The Guardian that:
“One or both of them will have to go. It’s not going to be Morgan.”
Speaking to The Student, political journalist Michael Crick said:
“McSweeney has that instinctive feel [for politics] which Starmer and Gray lack.”
He has been running campaigns for Labour since 2005 and previously held the position of Labour’s Chief of Staff in 2020-21 whilst they were in opposition
One Scottish Labour figure described McSweeney to The Herald as “ruthless”. .
A critic of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, McSweeney used his role as Labour’s Campaign Director to significantly weaken the party’s left wing while positioning his allies in safe Labour seats.
With Gray moving to the advisory role of “envoy for the regions and nations”, some are now concerned about an imbalance between politics and delivery in government.
The Financial Times reported a Labour insider saying:
“Crudely, the fear is Morgan’s team does politics and Sue’s does delivery. But either without the other fails.”
Crick suggested that Gray’s extensive experience in government delivery could have helped provide the incoming government with more direction and a policy plan, saying that:
“If she had been appointed earlier, they wouldn’t be in the mess they are in now.”
Starmer may hope that McSweeney will bring a new political vision to the central government, which Crick described as suffering from a “lack of talent.”
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