Sue Gray: Labour held talks with senior civil servant for no less than 4 months earlier than chief of employees position introduced

Sir Keir Starmer was wooing Sue Gray to develop into his chief of employees for no less than 4 months earlier than saying her appointment, Sky News has found.

The Labour chief has repeatedly refused to reveal when the primary contact between the pair happened.

But Sky News understands his first dialogue with the highest civil servant got here final October.

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Sir Keir’s workplace is known to have initiated contact along with her, somewhat than the opposite means round.

After this, he and his staff had a number of conversations with Ms Gray, who was then a everlasting secretary engaged on the structure and the union of the UK.

The negotiation remained secret for months and the appointment was solely confirmed in March, the day after Sky News broke the information of talks between her and Sir Keir.

This means the primary communication between them got here after the publication of her report into Boris Johnson, which was launched in May 2022.

However, it was throughout makes an attempt by MPs to safe details about her probe and Mr Johnson’s actions.

From October final 12 months to March 2023, the Privileges Committee was engaged on its investigation into whether or not Mr Johnson lied to parliament, and asking for proof from the federal government.

At the time, it was thought a few of that proof may have come from the work performed by Ms Gray carried out earlier within the 12 months, and it’s unclear what she knew.

But the chair of the committee, Harriet Harman, later confirmed they relied on their very own materials for his or her inquiry, somewhat than Ms Gray’s report.

The contact between Sir Keir and Ms Gray got here in one of the vital turbulent months in British politics, which noticed financial turmoil after Liz Truss’s mini-budget and noticed her changed by her former rival Rishi Sunak.

Labour is now ready for a choice from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) – which has the ability to delay appointments however not block them – to search out out when she will be able to begin work.

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On Tuesday, it emerged that Ms Gray had not co-operated with a separate probe led by the Cabinet Office.

A bigger report into her resignation had been anticipated by Whitehall watchers, however it’s understood cupboard secretary Simon Case withheld materials amid considerations in regards to the sensitivity of the probe.

It additionally emerged on Wednesday that the First Division Association (FDA) union, led by common secretary Dave Penman, was offering help to Ms Gray throughout these inquiries, with no Labour involvement.

Labour and the Cabinet Office declined to remark.