Partygate investigator Sue Gray has quit the civil service amid reports she is set to join Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s office as his chief of staff. Downing Street said her resignation had been accepted with “immediate affect” on Thursday afternoon and some on the Tory backbenches reacted with anger to the reported move to the key Labour role.
Ms Gray’s investigation into law-breaking parties held in Downing Street during Boris Johnson’s leadership played a key role in his downfall as prime minister. Labour has not denied a report by Sky News that the former second permanent secretary in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has been appointed chief of staff.
The circumstances of her resignation will be examined, including whether it complies with the civil service code, it was understood. Under the code, civil servants of her seniority must wait a minimum of three months before taking up outside employment.
