No 10 Communications Director Matthew Doyle is “standing down” after nine months. Shown the door…
That’s the second high-ranking departure including Gray. Comms director and Chief of Staff gone before a year passes…
Doyle’s job will be split in two. Deputy communications director Steph Driver will now be director of communications (delivery) while James Lyons will be director of communications (strategy). All change…
In family politics latest Keir Starmer’s office has just acquired a new SpAd. Jason Keen, who started a fortnight ago in Downing Street, worked as the BBC’s senior political affairs adviser before becoming assistant private secretary to Prince Edward and Sophie. Not the first time a royal courtier has made the jump into Downing Street, though Keen has one more qualification to help him into the job…
Guido is told by MPs that Keen is the husband of Aldershot’s Labour MP Alexandra Baker – something the pair quite studiously avoids mentioning. Another layer to the spouse of cards…
After four months in government, Labour are still refusing to say how many SpAds they have. They’ve been on probationary contracts since July, though were expected to sign the dotted line last week…
Lord Kempsell asked a written question on how many SpAds are employed by the government, to which a Labour minister refused to answer:
Though the SpAd headcount has always been published in an annual report, it’s never been treated as a state secret. It should be routinely available through FOIs or to parliamentarians. SpAds are on the public payroll after all…
Just a few months ago, Starmer was crowing about “open and transparent” governance. Transparent as mud…
Lobby hacks are this week still asking Starmer’s spokesman about Sue Gray’s fake envoy job. Surprise surprise, no updates…
When Gray resigned back at the start of the month the PM said “he was ‘delighted’ she would stay by his side in her new role.’” Let’s see how that’s going…
Guido hears from Downing Street that Sue is hilariously “still deciding if she is doing the envoy job.” In the meantime she has no desk, no contract, and no internal IT. So much for sitting by Keir’s side…
Contracts and pay for SpAds are set to be finally signed off next week. Guido hears the Cabinet Office is pushing to get everything wrapped up, pencilling in next Thursday as the date. Though, as always in Whitehall, there’s a chance political wrangling could push things further down the line…
Also on the agenda is the publication of SpAd registered interests. Expect some eyebrow-raising revelations…
Under Sue Gray, SpAds found themselves on unusual four-month probationary contracts – a mark that ironically Gray didn’t quite make herself. Now it’s Morgan McIavelli’s turn to whip the team into shape and stamp out any murmurs of unionisation over pay and conditions. Preliminary commiserations for those SpAds who don’t make it onto permanent contracts…
Lobby journalists are rightfully confused about Sue Gray’s new completely made-up role as the PM’s “Envoy for the Nations and Regions.” Hilariously Downing Street is still today not commenting on whether she will attend the Council of Nations and Regions meeting in Scotland tomorrow. If she doesn’t go to those then what actually is her job?
Guido hears it’s bedlam inside No 10 over this as Sue is in reality spending her time battling for a huge severance package and salary for her new role. The Cabinet Office is said to be resisting as approval for her demands needs to come from the top – Gray is not entitled to the level of severance she is demanding. No wonder the government refused to tell Guido what severance she’d be paid, say what salary she’ll be on, or indeed what her role actually is – they have no idea…
A Downing Street source tells Guido: “They just need to end it, send her to the Lords and move on. We’re all sick of her continuing to dominate things – she has been sacked. So why are we all indulging her?” Hell hath no fury like a Sue scorned…
UPDATE: Gray will not attend the inaugural meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions tomorrow. So much for her “vital role” in strengthening our relations with the regions and nations that Starmer was supposedly so “delighted” by…
UPDATE II: Presuming Gray was on a regular SpAd contract with 4 months probation, she would not be entitled to severance pay. It would need to be publicly approved from the top…
Paula Barker, Liverpool Wavertree MP backing Andy Burnham, told Times Radio there wouldn’t be trouble from the markets under Burnham:
“The markets will have to fall in line.”
