Owen Jones, a left-wing activist, has criticised the appointment of Sue Gray as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, attracting support from Conservative MPs.
Gray is known for her investigation into the “partygate” scandal, which revealed that lockdown-breaking parties were held in Downing Street during Boris Johnson’s leadership.
Johnson and his allies have raised concerns that Gray’s new role in the Labour Party may compromise the Privileges Committee’s inquiry into whether Johnson lied to the House of Commons about the parties.
Jones took to Twitter to express his disapproval, stating that Gray’s appointment meets the “would you think this is bad if the Tories did it” test. Conservative MPs were surprised by Jones’ comment and expressed their agreement with him.
Simon Clarke, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said that it was a “deeply unwise appointment” that damaged the Civil Service, while Brendan Clarke-Smith, MP for Red Wall, said he agreed with Jones for the first time.
Meanwhile, Johnson claimed that it was “concerning” that Gray’s evidence would be relied upon by the committee as she would be working for Labour.
However, the committee defended its inquiry, stating that it is not based on Gray’s report. Johnson’s allies have accused Gray’s appointment of being a left-wing stitch-up against a Tory Prime Minister.
Labour has dismissed these claims as “ludicrous,” and Gray is expected to wait for the decision of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments before assuming her role.
The appointment of Gray, who is known for her impartiality, has been met with controversy and criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.
