First Sue Gray, now Angela Rayner – is Keir Starmer a nightmare to work for?

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IT hasn’t been a good month – nay, a good first 100 days – for Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.

Amid the freebies row and unpopular policy decisions, his popularity with the UK public has plummeted to Nigel Farage-level depths.

But how popular is he with his colleagues now that he’s in the top job?

Well, his first chief of staff Sue Gray (below) didn’t last long. Starmer’s closest adviser resigned two weeks ago after a war between senior factions at the heart of government.

In a statement, Gray said she was stepping 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 it also followed briefings against her to the media, including the BBC reporting that Gray was paid more than the Prime Minister and disgruntled special advisers accusing her of attempting to effectively cut their pay.

She has since been appointed as the so-called ‘nations and regions’ envoy but not before taking a break.

Then the head honcho slapped down his colleague, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh (below), after she dared to criticise P&O Ferries over its employment practices.

Take into account that this operator was criticised by politicians from both main parties in March 2022 when it suddenly sacked 800 British seafarers and replaced them with cheaper, mainly overseas, staff.

But with the Dubai-based DP World, P&O’s parent firm, reportedly set to invest £1 billion in the UK – Starmer went with the money, not his colleague. Solidarity, am I right.

And now, a civil war is brewing in the Cabinet. 

(Image: PA) The Prime Minister is facing public backlash from his deputy Angela Rayner (above) and other senior colleagues over expected “huge” cuts to departmental spending to be unveiled in Rachel Reeves’ upcoming Budget.

This has included concerned letters from Rayner, Haigh and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, according to Bloomberg.

That being said, there are apparently concerns across the Cabinet, particularly those who work outside health, defence and education – where departmental spending isn’t protected.

It’s chaos, little more than 100 days into the new job with staff turnover already and public shows of discontent from colleagues. It could just be the pressures of government. Or is Keir Starmer just a nightmare to work for?