Sue Gray describes mistrust and leaks inside Starmer’s Downing Street
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Baroness Sue Gray has described her time as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff as "unbearable", revealing in her first broadcast interview since resigning that she faced sustained briefing against her and felt unable to speak freely for fear that conversations would be leaked to journalists. Speaking to Ed Balls on the Political Currency podcast, she said the hostile briefing began while Labour was still in opposition and continued once in government, leaving her feeling as though "everything you say" was being secretly recorded. Her account adds weight to previous criticism of a toxic culture inside Number 10, including from deputy leader Lucy Powell, who has spoken of a "boys' club" atmosphere and "anonymous nasty briefings" targeting women, and underlines the pressures that led to her departure.
Gray, who quit as chief of staff in October 2024 after weeks of negative press citing fears she was "becoming a distraction", said she raised the leaks with Starmer directly but was disappointed more was not done to tackle them, and insisted none of the briefing had come from her. She also suggested Starmer had lacked a clear "vision" on entering office, contrasting this with his successor as Labour leader in some contexts, Andy Burnham, whom she praised for arriving with "a very clear view" of his goals. Gray, previously best known for her Whitehall probe into lockdown-era parties at Boris Johnson's Downing Street, saw her impartiality questioned when she left the civil service to join Starmer's team, and was made a Labour peer among 30 new appointments last December.
- Sue Gray calls her time as Starmer's chief of staff "unbearable"
- Says colleagues briefed against her from opposition into government
- Criticises Starmer for not doing more to stop leaks
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Sir Keir Starmer's government has faced persistent reports of infighting since taking office in July 2024, with Downing Street described as a place where colleagues briefed against each other to journalists rather than raising concerns openly. Baroness Sue Gray was Starmer's chief of staff during this period, one of the most senior roles in his top team, before resigning after just a few months amid sustained negative press coverage.
Gray had previously built a high public profile leading the civil service inquiry into lockdown-breaking parties in Boris Johnson's government, known as Partygate, which contributed to Johnson's downfall. Her move into Starmer's team was seen as a significant appointment, making her exit and subsequent criticism of the working culture around him notable.
Her comments matter because they add to a wider pattern of concern about how Number 10 operates, including similar remarks from other senior Labour figures, and raise questions about trust, management style and internal discipline at the heart of government.
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The case for
Those sympathetic to Gray's account argue it should be taken seriously precisely because it echoes complaints made independently by others, including Lucy Powell's description of a "boys' club" culture, suggesting a genuine institutional problem rather than one disgruntled individual's grievance. On this view, a chief of staff being unable to speak candidly for fear of leaks is a serious governance failure that undermines collective decision-making at the heart of government, and Starmer's apparent failure to act despite being told directly reflects poorly on his management and duty of care towards colleagues, particularly female ones who say they were disproportionately targeted.
The case against
Others would caution against taking one departed adviser's account at face value, noting that Gray left after a turbulent and contested period in which her own judgement and suitability for the role were themselves questioned by colleagues and commentators, not merely the subject of leaks. On this view, briefings and turf disputes are an unfortunate but familiar feature of any high-pressure Downing Street operation, and a single interview months after resignation risks presenting a one-sided, self-justifying narrative that cannot be fully tested, particularly when Gray herself acknowledges the leadership faced genuine early difficulties beyond any personal briefing against her.
Coverage
- Daily Mail — Sue Gray admits it was ‘unbearable’ working in No10 for Keir Starmer as ex-top aide reveals she feared ‘someone was recording everything you say’
- The Independent — Sue Gray says Starmer’s office was consumed by mistrust
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