Politics latest news: Tory critics of Sue Gray are spouting ‘crackpot conspiracy theories’, Labour claims

Wes Streeting has accused Tory critics of Sue Gray of spouting “crackpot conspiracy theories” about her appointment as Sir Keir Starmer’s new chief of staff. 

Ms Gray resigned last week as second permanent secretary at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Cabinet Office, paving the way for her to take up the role with Labour. 

The move is yet to be finalised because it is being probed by parliament’s anti-corruption watchdog, the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. 

But the announcement prompted a political firestorm as some Tory MPs seized upon the appointment to question the impartiality of Ms Gray’s original partygate probe into Boris Johnson and Downing Street. 

Mr Streeting, the shadow health secretary, dismissed the claims, telling BBC Breakfast: “She has worked for successive governments as a civil servant, Labour and Conservative, and no one has ever suggested that she gossips about the previous administration or divulges things that she shouldn’t, she is a consummate professional by all accounts. 

“I think it, to be honest, says a lot about the state of the current Conservative Party and why Rishi Sunak finds it so hard to manage the rabble that we have had all sorts of crackpot conspiracy theories rolled out for an appointment which is, I can understand why they might find it embarrassing that people are looking to Labour and want to work with Labour as potentially the next government, but I think it is sad that some Conservatives have chosen to traduce the reputation of a good civil servant in this way.”

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