Sue Gray quits as the Prime Minister's chief of staff

Sue Gray has quit as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff.

10 Downing Street has confirmed Ms Gray will now take up a role as the Prime Minister’s envoy for nations and regions.

Labour has since confirmed she will be replaced as chief of staff by Morgan McSweeney, who was previously the Prime Minister’s chief adviser.

Sue Gray has quit as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff. | Stefan Rousseau/Press Association.

This comes after Ms Gray was caught up in rows over pay after it was revealed her salary was higher than the Prime Minister’s.

In a written statement 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.

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“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 the same statement, Ms Gray added: “I am pleased to have accepted a new role as the Prime Minister’s envoy for the regions and nations.”

She said it had been her honour to “play my part in the delivery of a Labour government”.

Ms Gray had worked as Sir Keir’s chief of staff while the Labour party was still in opposition at Westminster.

She said: “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.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. | Christopher Furlong/Getty Images.

Last month it was revealed Ms Gray was earning £170,000, which is £3,000 more than the Prime Minister’s salary.

At the time Sir Keir refused to comment on rumours about infighting between Ms Gray and other civil servant colleagues, including Mr McSweeney.

In September, he said: “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.”

A spokesman for the Conservative Party said: “In fewer than 100 days Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government has been thrown into chaos - he has lost his chief of staff who has been at the centre of the scandal the Labour Party has been engulfed by.

“Sue Gray was brought in to deliver a programme for government and all we’ve seen in that time is a government of self-service.”

Sir Keir Starmer has also announced other changes to his top team in Downing Street.

Political director at Number 10 Vidhya Alakeson and director of government relations Jill Cuthbertson have been promoted to deputy chiefs of staff, director of the Downing Street Policy Unit Nin Pandit has been appointed parliamentary private secretary to the Prime Minister, and former journalist James Lyon becomes head of a new strategic communications team.