Sue Gray broke Civil Service code by discussing a job with Labour, Cabinet Office probe finds

Sue Gray broke the Civil Service code by discussing a job with Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer, a Cabinet Office investigation has concluded.

In a written ministerial assertion, Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quinn stated the “undeclared contact” between her and Sir Keir constituted a breach.

“The rules and guidance that govern the conduct of civil servants are clear and transparent,” he added. “It is deeply unfortunate that events have transpired in this way.”

But he insisted he remained “confident in the impartiality of our Civil Service”.

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A authorities supply instructed Sky News that the findings of the investigation – carried out by civil servants, not ministers – would have resulted in “serious disciplinary sanctions” if Ms Gray had nonetheless been working in Whitehall.

But a Labour spokesperson stated the assertion was “a political stunt by a Tory government out of ideas and out of road”.

Ms Gray turned a family identify through the partygate revelations, main the investigation into lockdown-breaking gatherings in Downing Street.

Sky News revealed in March that she had been in secret talks with Labour about turning into Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of workers since October 2022 – when nonetheless a senior civil servant, however months after she printed her partygate report.

Within hours, she had stop the Civil Service so as to take up the function.

But first, Ms Gray needed to get the log off from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), which may impose situations and a cooling-off interval earlier than former ministers or senior civil servants begin new jobs.

The watchdog accepted her appointment on Friday, saying there needed to be a six-month break between her quitting and her beginning at Labour to keep away from “a potential risk to the perceived impartiality of the Civil Service” – that means she will start as chief of workers in September.

However, there was nonetheless anger from Conservative critics, who proceed to query her impartiality throughout her inquiry into Downing Street events.

Acoba stated on Friday that “no evidence” was supplied to the committee that Ms Gray’s “decision-making or ability to remain impartial was impaired whilst she remained in her Civil Service role”, and that “no evidence has been provided by the departments to demonstrate Ms Gray made decisions or took action in office which favoured the employer in expectation of this role”.

But whereas Mr Quinn’s assertion stated the prime minister accepted the recommendation from the committee, the Cabinet Office inquiry into her discussions with Labour – launched after Sky broke the information concerning the talks – nonetheless criticised her dealing with of the occasions.

“The Civil Service management code sets out that all members of the senior Civil Service are in the ‘politically restricted’ category, which places further restrictions on their political activity,” he stated.

“In addition, the guidance on the declaration and management of interests for civil servants, which is enshrined in departmental HR policies, sets out that individuals must declare all relevant outside interests to their line manager as soon as they arise.”

“This [inquiry] process, led by the Civil Service, found that the Civil Service code was prima facie broken as a result of the undeclared contact between Ms Gray and the leader of the opposition.”

Labour insisted “all rules were complied with” and the Acoba course of “makes that clear”.

A celebration spokesperson added: “This statement is a political stunt by a Tory government out of ideas and out of road.

“It says the whole lot it’s good to know concerning the Tories that they’ve spent weeks losing time on this Mickey Mouse nonsense, whereas refusing to research the intense allegations of sexual assault towards their London mayoral hopeful, Daniel Korski.

“We’re looking forward to Sue Gray joining us this September as we continue to show the country that only Labour can build a better Britain.”