Post by Red Rackham on Aug 16, 2024 18:24:09 GMT
Interesting read in the Labour supporting Guardian...
Keir Starmer told his staff on his first day in office their duty was to return politics to service and to end self-interest.
Yet it has taken less than a month for negative, personal briefings from within Downing Street to emerge in the press, suggesting all is not entirely well in the working relationship between the two big beasts close to the prime minister: Sue Gray, the prime minister’s chief of staff, and Morgan McSweeney, Labour’s election strategy guru.
It had been thought that after the election there would be a clear division of labour, with Gray focusing on operational delivery, while McSweeney was always expected to be top dog when it came to politics, having had the prime minister’s ear since masterminding his succession from Jeremy Corbyn.
However, after the election, gossip began to seep out of No 10, showing that a power struggle was under way. In the early days, a source claimed: “Morgan’s desk will be outside the No 10 study and he will be in and out of Keir’s office more than Sue. But look out for the fireworks.”
Just over a week later, it was reported that Gray had twice moved McSweeney’s desk further away from the prime minister’s office. It was also reported that Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, had refused to authorise Gray’s request for McSweeney to be denied access to a secure computer system unless he heard it from Starmer himself.
No 10 and Whitehall officials have vehemently rejected claims McSweeney had been blocked from getting security briefings, noting if someone really needed access they would get it.
Whitehall sources say Gray’s “centralisation” of government has left some Labour advisers frustrated and concerned.
One Labour government source said: “There has been a massive centralisation under Sue Gray. Under the last government four people controlled what went into the PM’s box and now it’s one. Things have slowed down. She’s put herself into a position where she is extraordinarily powerful.
“There’s a suspicion that she’s making a lot of decisions on the PM’s behalf and that he wouldn’t necessarily agree with them. She’s in a position where his successes are going to be attributed to her but she’s overly vulnerable when things go wrong.”
They added that the reshuffle “taking so long was a problem” and that was down to Gray micromanaging personnel, having to sign off who was getting every job and which special advisers (spads) would be appointed.
Gray also raised eyebrows after appearing to be the only person allowed to take a Labour party staffer, her personal assistant, into the civil service, while blocking others from bringing in similar hires from the Southside HQ. However, Whitehall officials have noted such appointments are allowed as long as the position is extremely junior and for a fixed-term contract.
“Most special advisers do not want to fuck with her,” one insider said, as they had been put on strict four-month probation periods. “They’re all desperate to prove their loyalty and worth to her as she is big on experience over politics.”
Gray has also been accused of slowing down the ministerial appointments process because she wants “someone she’s hired in pretty much every department and office to be her eyes and ears”, according to another Whitehall source.
www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/aug/16/no-10-power-struggle-rumours-sue-gray-morgan-mcsweeney
I'm reminded of Starmer constantly criticising the Tory government over Dominic Cummings, but the parallels with Sue Gray are exactly the same. So, who's in charge in number 10, Starmer or Gray?
Keir Starmer told his staff on his first day in office their duty was to return politics to service and to end self-interest.
Yet it has taken less than a month for negative, personal briefings from within Downing Street to emerge in the press, suggesting all is not entirely well in the working relationship between the two big beasts close to the prime minister: Sue Gray, the prime minister’s chief of staff, and Morgan McSweeney, Labour’s election strategy guru.
It had been thought that after the election there would be a clear division of labour, with Gray focusing on operational delivery, while McSweeney was always expected to be top dog when it came to politics, having had the prime minister’s ear since masterminding his succession from Jeremy Corbyn.
However, after the election, gossip began to seep out of No 10, showing that a power struggle was under way. In the early days, a source claimed: “Morgan’s desk will be outside the No 10 study and he will be in and out of Keir’s office more than Sue. But look out for the fireworks.”
Just over a week later, it was reported that Gray had twice moved McSweeney’s desk further away from the prime minister’s office. It was also reported that Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, had refused to authorise Gray’s request for McSweeney to be denied access to a secure computer system unless he heard it from Starmer himself.
No 10 and Whitehall officials have vehemently rejected claims McSweeney had been blocked from getting security briefings, noting if someone really needed access they would get it.
Whitehall sources say Gray’s “centralisation” of government has left some Labour advisers frustrated and concerned.
One Labour government source said: “There has been a massive centralisation under Sue Gray. Under the last government four people controlled what went into the PM’s box and now it’s one. Things have slowed down. She’s put herself into a position where she is extraordinarily powerful.
“There’s a suspicion that she’s making a lot of decisions on the PM’s behalf and that he wouldn’t necessarily agree with them. She’s in a position where his successes are going to be attributed to her but she’s overly vulnerable when things go wrong.”
They added that the reshuffle “taking so long was a problem” and that was down to Gray micromanaging personnel, having to sign off who was getting every job and which special advisers (spads) would be appointed.
Gray also raised eyebrows after appearing to be the only person allowed to take a Labour party staffer, her personal assistant, into the civil service, while blocking others from bringing in similar hires from the Southside HQ. However, Whitehall officials have noted such appointments are allowed as long as the position is extremely junior and for a fixed-term contract.
“Most special advisers do not want to fuck with her,” one insider said, as they had been put on strict four-month probation periods. “They’re all desperate to prove their loyalty and worth to her as she is big on experience over politics.”
Gray has also been accused of slowing down the ministerial appointments process because she wants “someone she’s hired in pretty much every department and office to be her eyes and ears”, according to another Whitehall source.
www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/aug/16/no-10-power-struggle-rumours-sue-gray-morgan-mcsweeney
I'm reminded of Starmer constantly criticising the Tory government over Dominic Cummings, but the parallels with Sue Gray are exactly the same. So, who's in charge in number 10, Starmer or Gray?
