Sue Gray’s departure is the best thing for the government and the country.
It took most commentators and pundits by surprise when the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff resigned last week, being pickled in a job that sounds almost entirely made up to placate her: Envoy for Nations and Regions.
That isn’t to forget that her appointment as Starmer’s top aide was a surprise in the first place. That the civil servant who wrote the Partygate inquiry was made head advisor to the Leader of the Opposition seemed entirely perplexing, despite matching Starmer’s managerial image. Politicians don’t like working with civil servants when they’re actually in government, so why he wanted to put one in charge of his office while in opposition was beyond most people. In October she succeeded Sam White, who claimed to be leaving due to logistical issues; likely a tall tale to avoid the real reasons of tensions in policy and media strategy.
And so, Sue Gray presided over Labour HQ throughout a crushing general victory, supporting her leader in ways her predecessors so badly failed. So why that title? Why do I think it’s such a good thing that this obviously competent person is no longer at the heart of government? The same reason she was appointed in 2022: she’s a career civil servant. Civil servants are an integral and necessary part of British governance, but the tensions and obstructions that come from their interactions with ministers and SPADs is a fixture of political satire and reality. Gray has spent the majority of her life in the Civil Service, and that changes how you approach issues. I already alluded to its managerial style, but it also engenders complacency, where the status quo seems to only ever need a few tweaks. This is a necessary counterweight to starry eyed ministers, but it isn’t what we need from policymakers.
We also need to consider the dynamic that existed in Downing Street. It’s no secret that her replacement, the veteran fixer Morgan McSweeney, was already in a power struggle with Gray. Political power struggles take an immense amount of time and effort on the part of their players: most of every day in Number 10 must’ve been spent arguing over what came under whose purview, or who should get to tell the Prime Minister this. This all takes away from the actual responsibility of governing.
Sue Gray’s demotion might spell the end of her political career, but hopefully means that the most important office in the country can run smoother than it has so far.
“Number 10 door (7500511616)” by Number 10 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Related
Gray Cloud Leaves Downing Street
Sue Gray’s departure is the best thing for the government and the country.
It took most commentators and pundits by surprise when the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff resigned last week, being pickled in a job that sounds almost entirely made up to placate her: Envoy for Nations and Regions.
That isn’t to forget that her appointment as Starmer’s top aide was a surprise in the first place. That the civil servant who wrote the Partygate inquiry was made head advisor to the Leader of the Opposition seemed entirely perplexing, despite matching Starmer’s managerial image. Politicians don’t like working with civil servants when they’re actually in government, so why he wanted to put one in charge of his office while in opposition was beyond most people. In October she succeeded Sam White, who claimed to be leaving due to logistical issues; likely a tall tale to avoid the real reasons of tensions in policy and media strategy.
And so, Sue Gray presided over Labour HQ throughout a crushing general victory, supporting her leader in ways her predecessors so badly failed. So why that title? Why do I think it’s such a good thing that this obviously competent person is no longer at the heart of government? The same reason she was appointed in 2022: she’s a career civil servant. Civil servants are an integral and necessary part of British governance, but the tensions and obstructions that come from their interactions with ministers and SPADs is a fixture of political satire and reality. Gray has spent the majority of her life in the Civil Service, and that changes how you approach issues. I already alluded to its managerial style, but it also engenders complacency, where the status quo seems to only ever need a few tweaks. This is a necessary counterweight to starry eyed ministers, but it isn’t what we need from policymakers.
We also need to consider the dynamic that existed in Downing Street. It’s no secret that her replacement, the veteran fixer Morgan McSweeney, was already in a power struggle with Gray. Political power struggles take an immense amount of time and effort on the part of their players: most of every day in Number 10 must’ve been spent arguing over what came under whose purview, or who should get to tell the Prime Minister this. This all takes away from the actual responsibility of governing.
Sue Gray’s demotion might spell the end of her political career, but hopefully means that the most important office in the country can run smoother than it has so far.
“Number 10 door (7500511616)” by Number 10 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Share this:
Like this:
Related