Sue Gray broke civil service code by talking to Starmer, runs government

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Sue Gray broke civil service code by telling Keir Starmer about a job with Labor four months before leaving Whitehall, a government inquiry has heard.

A Labor spokesman said the Cabinet Office conclusion was 'Mickey Mouse nonsense' and a 'political stunt' by the Tories. "All the rules were followed," the spokesperson said.

The Partygate investigator has been cleared by an appointments watchdog to take over as the Labor leader's chief of staff after a six-month cooling-off period from the time she quit her senior civil service job in March.

< p>But a Cabinet Office investigation found Ms Gray broke the rules by discussing the top Labor job in October 2022, when she was still in the civil service .

“This process, led by the civil service service, found that the Civil Service Code was prima facie breached following the undeclared contact between Ms Gray and the Leader of the Opposition” , Cabinet Minister Jeremy Quin said in a statement on Monday.

The Conservative minister added: "The rules and guidelines which govern the conduct of public servants are clear and transparent. It is deeply regrettable that events unfolded in this way."

Mr. Quin said in the written ministerial statement that officials must declare all relevant outside interests "as soon as they arise." He said the policy advises individuals "to err on the side of caution when considering what to report, but it is up to the individual to consider what might be relevant and report it".

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The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) said on Friday that it "shares some of the concerns" raised by the government about the potential risk to the integrity of the civil service posed by his move to work.< /p>

However, the appointments watchdog said it saw "no evidence" that her decision-making or impartiality was "impaired" while serving in Whitehall. He has only advised her to take a six month break from her last day, meaning she can start with Sir Keir in early September.