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| Why it was likely Sue Gray would go | |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Sue Gray has quit as the prime minister's chief of staff | Sue Gray has quit as the prime minister's chief of staff |
| When I was leaked Sue Gray’s salary last month, details of her pay were less important than what the leak revealed about the anger of those alongside her in government. | |
| In short, they were flipping angry - angry about her perceived power, her abilities, and they accused her of failing to sort out the pay of other special advisers, as they are known. | In short, they were flipping angry - angry about her perceived power, her abilities, and they accused her of failing to sort out the pay of other special advisers, as they are known. |
| Others, I should point out, felt it all amounted to a personal vendetta and was grossly unfair. | Others, I should point out, felt it all amounted to a personal vendetta and was grossly unfair. |
| But, fair or otherwise, the anger was very real. | But, fair or otherwise, the anger was very real. |
| It presented Sir Keir Starmer with few options: get rid of her, get rid of those unhappy with her, or solve the underlying problems. | It presented Sir Keir Starmer with few options: get rid of her, get rid of those unhappy with her, or solve the underlying problems. |
| Solving the underlying problems looked difficult without either of the other two options happening too. | Solving the underlying problems looked difficult without either of the other two options happening too. |
| And getting rid of all of those unhappy with her would have been difficult too – firstly, there were quite a few of them, and secondly finding them would not have been easy, as they had been making their feelings known discreetly. | And getting rid of all of those unhappy with her would have been difficult too – firstly, there were quite a few of them, and secondly finding them would not have been easy, as they had been making their feelings known discreetly. |
| So did Sue Gray jump or was she pushed? | So did Sue Gray jump or was she pushed? |
| “There was a mutual recognition that a change was needed,” is how it was, rather diplomatically, put to me. | “There was a mutual recognition that a change was needed,” is how it was, rather diplomatically, put to me. |
| “The prime minister was aware his team needed a refresh. Both of them could see that was needed." | “The prime minister was aware his team needed a refresh. Both of them could see that was needed." |
| "This was not going to fix itself,” a senior source added, a nod to the bind they were in unless they acted pretty drastically. | "This was not going to fix itself,” a senior source added, a nod to the bind they were in unless they acted pretty drastically. |
| In truth, many in government had felt privately for some time her position was increasingly untenable – and will hope her ousting and the wider rejig will sharpen the government’s sense of purpose and cut the number of own goals. | In truth, many in government had felt privately for some time her position was increasingly untenable – and will hope her ousting and the wider rejig will sharpen the government’s sense of purpose and cut the number of own goals. |
| A party that was ruthlessly well prepared for the election has looked rather less prepared for the realities of government. | A party that was ruthlessly well prepared for the election has looked rather less prepared for the realities of government. |
| The promotion of Morgan McSweeney as Ms Gray’s replacement and the arrival of James Lyons, a former political journalist turned communications director in both the public and private sector, is likely to give the operation a sharper political edge. | The promotion of Morgan McSweeney as Ms Gray’s replacement and the arrival of James Lyons, a former political journalist turned communications director in both the public and private sector, is likely to give the operation a sharper political edge. |
| Sir Keir Starmer has appointed Morgan McSweeney as his new chief of staff | Sir Keir Starmer has appointed Morgan McSweeney as his new chief of staff |
| Tellingly, one element of the rejig is the government’s list of planned announcements, known internally as "the grid", that had been under the command of Ms Gray. | Tellingly, one element of the rejig is the government’s list of planned announcements, known internally as "the grid", that had been under the command of Ms Gray. |
| It will now be under the control of the No10 communications team, where some believe it should always have been. | It will now be under the control of the No10 communications team, where some believe it should always have been. |
| “Look at that news grid, week after week after week of stories about freebies,” one senior figure said to me the other day with an exasperated tone. | “Look at that news grid, week after week after week of stories about freebies,” one senior figure said to me the other day with an exasperated tone. |
| They were articulating a double frustration – a frustration at the initial failure of judgement in accepting the donations and how they were spent, and a frustration at how long it had taken the party to deal with the row. | They were articulating a double frustration – a frustration at the initial failure of judgement in accepting the donations and how they were spent, and a frustration at how long it had taken the party to deal with the row. |
| Other Labour figures, though, are privately jittery that all this “looks like the leakers have won”, as one put it to me. | Other Labour figures, though, are privately jittery that all this “looks like the leakers have won”, as one put it to me. |
| Labour made much of saying they would offer an alternative to the chaos of recent Conservative administrations. | Labour made much of saying they would offer an alternative to the chaos of recent Conservative administrations. |
| And yet within weeks there was backbiting and infighting. | And yet within weeks there was backbiting and infighting. |
| The prime minister will hope this marks the end of it. | The prime minister will hope this marks the end of it. |