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Sir Keir Starmer has performed a large shake-up of his misfiring Quantity 10 staff, with Sue Grey, his controversial chief of employees, quitting her submit after solely three months in Downing Avenue.
Grey’s departure, following weeks of inside criticism of her efficiency and an influence wrestle behind the scenes, comes as Starmer makes an attempt to revive order to his administration within the week he marks 100 days in workplace.
Grey, a former civil servant who led a overview into Covid events in Boris Johnson’s administration, stated: “I’m happy to have accepted a brand new function because the prime minister’s envoy for the areas and nations.”
She is changed as chief of employees by Morgan McSweeney, who oversaw Labour’s profitable election marketing campaign and had acted as chief adviser to Starmer.
Grey and McSweeney, in line with Labour aides, have been usually at loggerheads. Though they denied falling out, there was an more and more acrimonious environment on the coronary heart of presidency.
Grey’s departure got here shortly after the leaking of the actual fact she was paid greater than the prime minister, with a £170,000 wage. Some Labour advisers blamed her for the actual fact they earned much less in authorities than they did in opposition.
Her departure cleared the way in which for Starmer to announce an enormous shake-up of his staff, with additional personnel deployed to the centre of his operation and to his media staff.
James Lyons, a former NHS director of communications and political journalist, will depart his present job at TikTok to guide a brand new strategic communications staff.
Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson have been promoted to deputy chiefs of employees, working with McSweeney. Grey was generally accused by Labour insiders of micromanaging and refusing to share her work.
Alakeson is presently the political director at Quantity 10 and was beforehand director of exterior relations for the Labour social gathering. Cuthbertson was director of Starmer’s workplace in opposition, overseeing occasions and visits.
In the meantime, Nin Pandit has been appointed principal personal secretary to the prime minister, a key civil service function in Quantity 10. She was director of the Downing Avenue coverage unit from November 2022.
Starmer stated: “I’m actually happy to have the ability to usher in such proficient and skilled people into my staff. This reveals my absolute dedication to ship the change the nation voted for.”
Critics of the prime minister, together with the Conservatives, demanded to know why Starmer had taken so lengthy to get a grip of an administration that had made such a stumbling begin.
One other main change of personnel is anticipated to happen in early 2025 when Simon Case is changed as cupboard secretary. A contest for that essential function has solely simply opened.
Nevertheless, a lot of the main focus will probably be on the departure as chief of employees of Grey, a controversial determine ever since she ran the probe into the Partygate scandal after which stop the civil service in 2023 to hitch Starmer in opposition.
Starmer stated: “I wish to thank Sue for all of the help she has given me, each in opposition and authorities, and her work to arrange us for presidency and get us began on our programme of change.
“Sue has performed an important function in strengthening our relationships with the areas and nations. I’m delighted that she’s going to proceed to help that work.”
Grey stated: “After main the Labour social gathering’s preparation for presidency and kick-starting work on our programme for change, I’m trying ahead to drawing on my expertise to help the prime minister and the cupboard to assist ship the federal government’s aims throughout the nations and areas of the UK.”
A Conservative spokesman stated: “In fewer than 100 days Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour authorities has been thrown into chaos.”
“Sue Grey was introduced in to ship a programme for presidency and all we’ve seen in that point is a authorities of self-service. The one query that is still is who will run the nation now?”