Watch: Sue Gray turns on Starmer

Talk about a belated Ides of March. It was less than 100 days before Keir Starmer sacked his first No. 10 Chief of Staff Sue Gray. To console the lifelong civil servant, Sir Keir rewarded her with a peerage, enabling her to spend the rest of her days making laws on the benches of the Upper House. And it seems that the noble Baroness of Tottenham has wasted no time in making the most of her new-found privileges, judging by her maiden speech in the Lords today.

Gray offered an unashamed defence of ‘the Blob’ in her remarks before the House today, telling fellow peers that ‘When we hear the phrases of blobs, pen pushers, axes, chainsaws and other implements, they hear it too… we need them and other public servants to succeed.’ It’s a sentiment that no doubt went down well with Gray’s fellow men and women in ermine. Talk about joining the deep state eh?

Steerpike can’t help noticing that Gray’s choice of title is somewhat illustrative too.