Of all the reasons given for Sue Gray being ousted as Keir Starmer's Chief of Staff, one has been particularly egregious.

Waiting for Sue Gray’ became something of a mantra for many politicians towards the end of Boris Johnson’s time in the top job. Then working as a senior civil servant, Sue Gray’s findings on Partygate were hugely anticipated and,

Ms. Gray, chief of staff to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said she was stepping down after sustained news media attention over her pay and status.

Morgan McSweeney quashed leftwing factions in Lambeth and helped see off the BNP in Barking before coming to work for Sir Keir Starmer

She said it had 'become clear to me that intense commentary around my position risked becoming a distraction'.

Today, we look at the resignation of Sue Gray as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff. Why has Gray gone now? What does this tell us about how well Downing Street is working? Who will replace her? Alex and Chris are joined by the programme director at the Institute of Government Alex Thomas.

Sue Gray has resigned as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, saying that “intense commentary” around her position had become a “distraction”. The special adviser became a household name in 2022 when she headed a report into the Partygate scandal,

It was back in June 2020 when Sir Keir Starmer first declared that Boris Johnson must “get a grip” on Downing Street. Until that moment, Sir Keir had attempted to give the government the benefit of the doubt on its handling of the Covid pandemic.