Sue Gray at centre of yet another civil service job row

Another day, another Sue Gray-related drama. Now Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff has come under fire over yet another prospective government appointment. It transpires that Gray is reportedly in favour of making Daniel Gieve, a senior civil servant who worked alongside her at the Cabinet Office, Starmer’s principal private secretary – a top job second only in constitutional importance to that of the Cabinet Secretary. Handy having friends in high places, eh?

But throwing Gieve’s name into the mix has caused unease in Downing Street. Some have suggested Gray is set on imposing her favourite candidate, while others worry about the civil servant’s close ties to senior Tories. Currently Gieve runs the Office for Investment, a Rishi Sunak venture that provides ‘concierge-style support’ to firms and investors. During the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition years, Gieve was the Cabinet Office minister focusing on David Cameron’s civil service reforms, working closely with Gray at the time.