Sue Gray to tell government watchdog when job talks with Labour began

Ex-senior civilian servant Sue Gray volition archer the authorities appointments watchdog erstwhile she archetypal had talks astir becoming Sir Keir Starmer's main of staff, pursuing Tory choler implicit the projected move, the BBC has been told.

Ms Gray volition attack the watchdog astir her caller relation connected Monday.

Labour's Jonathan Ashworth told the BBC the occupation connection proved his enactment was superior astir being successful government.

But immoderate Tories person argued the determination undermines civilian work impartiality.

Ms Gray discontinue her presumption astatine the levelling up section connected Thursday, aft reports archetypal emerged that she could instrumentality the occupation with Labour.

Speaking to the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, shadiness enactment and pensions secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, was repeatedly asked erstwhile Ms Gray was offered the job.

He declined to reply directly, but said Sir Keir had been looking for a caller main of unit for "several weeks" and Ms Gray was "always going to beryllium connected the list." A Labour root said "'on the list' didn't mean 'in talks'."

An advisor to Sir Keir Starmer added, "although they [Ms Gray and Sir Keir] had crossed paths professionally, they're not friends oregon portion of the aforesaid societal circles.

"However erstwhile Keir started reasoning of imaginable candidates, Sue was connected that database due to the fact that helium thought her acquisition and integrity would beryllium large assets for the squad arsenic we hole to deed the crushed moving successful government."

Questions volition persist for Labour astir the hiring of Ms Gray - not due to the fact that determination are immoderate doubts astir her quality - but due to the fact that the civilian work is meant to beryllium wholly neutral.

Naturally, the rules stipulate that means not talking to the absorption without support from secretaries of state.

Until the 'hows' and 'whens' of their contacts are clarified, Labour's opponents volition proceed to poke astatine the issue.

Last year, Ms Gray produced a highly-critical study into lockdown gatherings held successful Downing Street portion Boris Johnson was premier minister.

Earlier this week, Mr Johnson said radical whitethorn present look astatine her study "in a antithetic light".

Labour person said Ms Gray was not approached astir the occupation until aft her Partygate study was published.

Mr Johnson is presently facing a antithetic inquiry, tally by a cross-party radical of MPs, into whether helium misled Parliament, erstwhile helium said Covid rules had not been breached successful Downing Street.

In an initial study published connected Friday, the MPs said the grounds they had seen "strongly suggests" Covid regularisation breaches would person been "obvious" to Mr Johnson.

However, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris - and a adjacent state of the erstwhile premier curate - said Mr Johnson was "generally an honorable man".

He told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg helium did not judge that Mr Johnson had "knowingly misled Parliament".

Asked if this was the government's line, helium replied: "I don't deliberation there's a authorities authoritative position. There's a parliamentary process going on. And I deliberation we would hold to spot what came retired of that parliamentary process."