Partygate investigator Sue Gray has QUIT the civil service - and is poised to become Keir Starmer's new chief-of-staff as Labour beefs up its top team ahead of the general election.
The senior civil servant, who authored a bombshell report into lockdown-busting parties in No10, became a household name during the scandal that rocked Boris Johnson's Government.
No10 confirmed that Ms Gray had quit with "immediate effect" and her resignation had been accepted, but refused to comment further.
The Whitehall veteran, who worked as the Second Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office, has built a formidable reputation.
The Cabinet Office has said it is "reviewing the circumstances" of her resignation.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party has offered Sue Gray the role of chief of staff to the Leader of the Opposition.
"We understand she hopes to accept the role subject to the normal procedures.
"Keir Starmer is delighted she is hoping to join our preparations for government and our mission to build a better Britain”.
It immediately sparked outrage within Tory ranks, with MP Alexander Stafford posting on Twitter: "The civil service is meant to be impartial and above party politics.
"A very dodgy decision by Labour and Keir and needs to be rejected to protect the integrity of our civil service."
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Sue Gray has resigned from the post of Second Permanent Secretary in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. This was accepted by the department Permanent Secretary and Cabinet Secretary with immediate effect.
“We will not be commenting further on individual personnel matters. We are reviewing the circumstances under which she resigned.”
It is understood Rishi Sunak could theoretically block any such appointment.
Rules governing senior civil servants' appointments state that an application is required for a two-year period after leaving office.
It must be referred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) - an official watchdog which provides advice to the Prime Minister.
It makes clear the PM "makes the final decision".
Due to senior civil servants' access to a range of sensitive information, the rules add: "All Permanent Secretaries, including Second Permanent Secretaries, will be subject to a minimum waiting period of three months between leaving paid Civil Service employment and taking up an outside appointment or employment.
"The Advisory Committee may advise that this minimum waiting period should be waived if, in its judgement, no questions of propriety or public concern arise from the appointment or employment being taken up earlier.
The Cabinet Office has not commented on the report but the Prime Minister's official spokesman said on Thursday Ms Gray was still working in her role.
Asked if she handed in her notice, they added: "I'm not going to be commenting on an individual or that kind of speculation but as I said she is continuing in her role".
Ms Gray's Partygate report - published after the Metropolitan Police issued over 120 fines - tore into "failures of leadership and judgement" in Mr Johnson's Government during the Covid crisis.
Almost six months after The Mirror first reported a breach of Covid rules, the senior civil servant concluded in her report the lockdown-busting events "should not have been allowed to happen".
She said the public "have a right to expect the very highest standards of behaviour in such places and clearly what happened fell well short of this".
