STORY
Sue Gray has described her period as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff in Downing Street as “unbearable”, saying repeated internal briefings and leaks created an atmosphere in which she feared conversations could be recorded and passed to journalists. Speaking publicly in detail about her departure for the first time, Gray said the situation had become extremely difficult and had begun to affect her personal life.
Gray said she raised her concerns with Starmer on several occasions but was disappointed that more action was not taken. She also disputed reports from the period suggesting she had attempted to move senior adviser Morgan McSweeney away from the Prime Minister, saying discussions about office arrangements had been misrepresented. Some former Downing Street advisers have challenged Gray’s account, with one telling the Guardian that they did not recognise claims of a culture of briefings against her.
The Labour peer also questioned the clarity of Starmer’s political direction during his period in office, arguing that leadership required a clear vision and agenda. She contrasted his approach with that of his successor Andy Burnham, whom she said had entered Downing Street with a clearer idea of what he wanted to achieve. Gray resigned as Starmer’s chief of staff in October 2024 after only a few months in Government, saying at the time that controversy surrounding her position risked becoming a distraction.