Partygate investigator Sue Gray has been cleared to start as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff after a six-month cooling off period from when she quit as a senior civil servant.
Whitehall’s appointments watchdog said on Friday it “shared some of the concerns” raised by Government departments over the potential risk to the Civil Service’s integrity her move to Labour poses.
But the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) said it had seen “no evidence” that her decision making or impartiality was “impaired” while serving in Whitehall.
There has been no evidence provided to the committee that Ms Gray’s decision making or ability to remain impartial was impaired whilst she remained in her Civil Service role— Acoba
Government figures had urged Acoba to impose a waiting period of a year amid anger over Ms Gray’s move to join the Labour leader after investigating Boris Johnson over lockdown breaches in No 10.
But the revolving-doors watchdog only advised a six-month pause from her last day in Whitehall, meaning she can start with Sir Keir in early September.
However, criticism of Ms Gray will come on Monday when the Government will accuse her of a “prima facie breach” of the Civil Service code.
Sir Keir said: “I’m delighted that Sue Gray will be joining Labour as my chief of staff.
“Sue will lead our work preparing for a mission-led Labour government. She brings unrivalled experience on how the machinery of government works and is a woman of great integrity.
“Should we be privileged enough to be elected, Sue will ensure we’re able to hit the ground running. I look forward to her starting.
“I’m also grateful to Acoba for their work. We have followed the process and accept their advice.”
Labour sources said Ms Gray formally accepted the job offer on Friday after resigning in March, paving the way for the Acoba advice to be published.
Government departments raised concerns over the potential risk to the Civil Service’s integrity, which Acoba, chaired by Tory peer Lord Eric Pickles, “shared”.
But its report added: “There has been no evidence provided to the committee that Ms Gray’s decision making or ability to remain impartial was impaired whilst she remained in her Civil Service role.”
The committee expressed “disappointment on the level of briefing to the media in relation to this application”.
“Briefings of this nature, wherever they stem from, are injurious to a fair and confidential process,” the report said.
Ms Gray said Sir Keir raised the possibility of joining his team when he called her in late October 2022, according to the the Acoba document.
“She said she might be open to such a possibility if she were to leave the Civil Service,” it added.
But she told the team there was no formal job offer until March 2 – the day she resigned.
The investigation into partygate compiled by Ms Gray, after it was ordered by Mr Johnson while in No 10, was published in May last year.
The Cabinet Office will on Monday publish a report accusing Ms Gray of breaching the rules governing civil servants, but no retrospective punishment will be possible now she has left Whitehall.
Acoba is often criticised as a “toothless” watchdog because it cannot enforce its recommendations, but Sir Keir had committed to abiding by its advice.
Along with her partygate investigation, Ms Gray has held a number of senior roles in the civil service, including leading the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team.
Her final role was as second permanent secretary at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
