A Labour source tells the Times’ Henry Zeffman with some understatement that this is all “very far from ideal.”ĪLSO GETTING A HEADACHE: Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, who is urged to resign by Britain’s leading political historian on the front page of the paper of record. (She’s been on gardening leave since March.)įundamentally: This is all a massive headache for Starmer - what he wanted was a senior civil servant to help prepare his party for government … now he’s got someone who probably can’t start before Labour is diving headlong into a general election. So, sue me: The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar reports that allies of Gray say this whole Cabinet Office investigation is a “political witch-hunt” - and claim it’s unprecedented for a senior official to face such a probe after having left the civil service. One government aide told Playbook: “If she’s told them that, she’s discussed confidential government work with Labour.” In response: A Labour source tells Gutteridge that Gray had no involvement in PET’s work on the privileges committee probe while she was in contact in Starmer - a line which Tories have instantly seized on. Increasingly it seems that Boris Johnson was stitched up by a long running and multi-layered plot - which is now unravelling.” A Tory source tells Gutteridge “the term ‘conflict of interest’ does not do this justice. **īoris bombshell: At the time, PET was advising the privileges committee on its investigation into Boris Johnson and Partygate - and Gray worked with PET until she quit Whitehall two months ago, according to the Telegraph splash. It’s one of the ways we’re helping Britain prosper. Since 2018 we’ve supported more than 200 housing associations across the UK and provided nearly £15bn in financing to the sector to help people find a place to call home. **A message from Lloyds Banking Group: We’re the biggest supporter of social housing in the UK.

The Telegraph’s Nick Gutteridge says ministers will reveal that when her talks with Starmer began, Gray was still working with the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team (PET) - even though she had moved to a top role at DLUHC. What to expect: Several papers report that the Cabinet Office will conclude Gray breached the civil service code by holding secret talks over the Labour job. That senior civil servant … is of course Sue Gray, the Partygate inquisitor and Keir Starmer’s chief-of-staff-to-be. DRIVING THE DAYīIG DAY FOR SUE GRAY: Westminster is braced for an almighty row when the Cabinet Office publishes its “update into the circumstances leading to the resignation of a senior civil servant” today. Dan Bloom is in charge for the rest of the week. Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser

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