Sue Gray has quit as Downing Street chief of staff because of what she said were fears she was “becoming a distraction” to Keir Starmer’s government.
There have been reports of tensions in Number 10 involving Ms Gray, including between her and Mr Starmer’s chief adviser Morgan McSweeney, who will succeed her in the role.
Mr McSweeney, an accountant’s son from Cork, is the party’s election guru who masterminded Mr Starmer’s succession from Jeremy Corbyn. He hails from the townland of Codrum, just outside Macroom in Cork.
While a number of senior Labour figures had downplayed the friction between Ms Gray and Mr McSweeney, both of whom are close to the prime minister, one cabinet minister had foreshadowed Ms Gray’s future weeks ago, telling the Guardian: “One or both of them will have to go. It’s not going to be Morgan.”
Ms Gray would take on a new government role as the prime minister’s envoy for the regions and nations, No 10 announced, as Mr Starmer shook up his entire top-team after facing intense pressure to put an end to the hostile briefings that had at times overshadowed his first 100 days.
The prime minister has sought to change the narrative, and said he made the five changes to his team to “strengthen his Downing Street operation ahead of marking his first 100 days in office”.
In a statement on Sunday, Ms Gray said she was “pleased to have accepted a new role as the prime minister’s envoy for the regions and nations”.
Mr Starmer thanked Ms Gray for “all the support she has given me, both in opposition and government, and her work to prepare us for government and get us started on our programme of change.
“Sue has played a vital role in strengthening our relations with the regions and nations. I am delighted that she will continue to support that work.”
In a statement, she said: “It has been an honour to take on the role of chief of staff, and to play my part in the delivery of a Labour Government.
“Throughout my career my first interest has always been public service.
“However, in recent weeks it has become clear to me that intense commentary around my position risked becoming a distraction to the government’s vital work of change. It is for that reason I have chosen to stand aside, and I look forward to continuing to support the prime minister in my new role.”
Last month, it was leaked to the BBC that Ms Gray was earning more than the prime minister, amid a series of briefings against her as chief of staff.
The broadcaster was told that Ms Gray was earning £170,000 (€203,123), which would put her on £3,000 more than Mr Starmer.
When asked last month to comment on the rumoured infighting between Ms Gray and colleagues including Mr McSweeney, the prime minister refused.
He said in September: “I’m not discussing individual members of staff. I wouldn’t do that in relation to any member of staff, I’m not going to break that rule. That’s not a new rule for me. It’s a rule I had in opposition. It’s a rule I had when I was director of public prosecutions, when we, from time to time, had interest in senior staff.
“I think that I owe it to all staff to respect and protect them, and that means I will never discuss them in a session like this.” – Agencies