Top minister refuses to answer key questions about Sue Gray’s future | Politics | News

Top minister John Healey refused multiple times this morning to answer basic questions about Sue Gray’s future, after her chaotic and humiliating dismissal as chief of staff yesterday.

Ms Gray, who will now take on the newly-created job of ‘envoy for the regions and nations, departed Sir Keir Starmer’s right-hand side yesterday after weeks of furious briefings against her.

However No. 10 are tightlipped about whether Ms Gray will be awarded a peerage in the House of Lords, and what her new salary will be.

Fellow government aides were incensed when they discovered Ms Gray had been handed a higher salary than the PM himself, on a whopping £170,000 a year.

This morning Defence Secretary John Healey refused twice to say whether Ms Gray’s new role will be paid.

Mr Healey praised Ms Gray as having played a “massive role in preparing Labour ahead of the election for government”, adding: “We owe her a lot.”

Asked if the ‘envoy for regions and nations’ will be a paid role, the Defence Secretary dodged the question.

Asked a second time by Nick Ferrari, Mr Healey said: “Those decisions aren’t for me; what people in government get paid.”

The top Labour politician was also asked whether the controversial chief of staff will be elevated to the House of Lords and become Baroness Gray.

He repeated: “None of those are decisions for me.”

Mr Healey added: “She has stepped aside. I respect that decision. She said she has become a distraction from the government’s work to deliver the change the country voted us to do.”

“That is continuing, this week, next week, before the end of the month.”

This morning the Telegraph reports that Ms Gray will take a pay cut as she undertakes her new job, which they add will be a part-time position.

In a further blow, she will report to Pat McFadden the Cabinet Office minister and not Sir Keir Starmer himself.

Her departure came after weeks of infighting and accusations she was hoarding power.

Yesterday Sir Keir said: “I want to thank Sue 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.”

This morning Tory leadership frontrunner Robert Jenrick argued that Ms Gray should be blocked from taking up her new role until the Government’s propriety and ethics team have carried out an investigation into the allegations against her.

He said: “There were serious allegations made that warrant full investigation. In particular, the reports that Ms Gray — a political appointee — blocked sensitive intelligence briefings from being given to the Prime Minister.

“These are incredibly serious claims that come at a dangerous time for the world.

“Ms Gray should be blocked from taking up her new role until the Propriety and Ethics team at the Cabinet Office — a unit she once ran — have carried out a full investigation.

“It’s the least transparency we should expect from this government which has moved from one crisis to another in its first few months.”