Sue Gray broke Civil Service code by discussing a job with Labour, Cabinet Office probe finds
Sue Gray broke the Civil Service code by discussing a job with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, a Cabinet Office investigation has concluded.
In a written ministerial statement, Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin said the “undeclared contact” between her and Sir Keir constituted a breach.
“The rules and guidance that govern the conduct of civil servants are clear and transparent,” he added. “It is deeply unfortunate that events have transpired in this way.”
But he insisted he remained “confident in the impartiality of our Civil Service”.
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A government source told Sky News that the findings of the investigation – carried out by civil servants, not ministers – would have resulted in “serious disciplinary sanctions” if Ms Gray had still been working in Whitehall.
But a Labour spokesperson said the statement was “a political stunt by a Tory government out of ideas and out of road”.
The prime minister’s spokesman said Rishi Sunak believed the judgement of the investigation.
Ms Gray became a household name during the partygate revelations, leading the investigation into lockdown-breaking gatherings in Downing Street.
Sky News revealed in March that she had been in secret talks with Labour about becoming Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff since October 2022 – when still a senior civil servant, but months after she published her partygate report.
Within hours, she had quit the Civil Service in order to take up the role.
Parties launch attacks as Civil Service row turns political
“Mickey Mouse nonsense” – that’s how Labour has described the findings of a Cabinet Office probe, which concluded Sue Gray broke the civil service code.
The government insists the investigation was carried out by independent Cabinet Office officials and lawyers, with no ministerial involvement.
But they like the outcome. One government source hit back at the idea of Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden driving it, saying: “This is Labour spin – they know Mr Rules breaking the rules isn’t a good look.”
A Labour source says they are relaxed about this line of attack: “If Sunak wants to allow us to remind people he was fined for breaking lockdown, that’s cool”.
As for what happens next, Alex Thomas from the Institute for Government tells me that in practice this ruling “doesn’t change very much”.
He says Mr Dowden and some other ministers “haven’t held back in their views, and sent a pretty strong signal to officials that this is what they think”.
But, he says, there is no question the situation resulted in “frustration at the top of the Civil Service”.
Government sources also say permanent secretaries agree it was a breach.
But first, Ms Gray had to get the sign off from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), which can impose conditions and a cooling-off period before former ministers or senior civil servants start new jobs.
The watchdog approved her appointment on Friday, saying there had to be a six-month break between her quitting and her starting at Labour to avoid “a potential risk to the perceived impartiality of the Civil Service” – meaning she can begin as chief of staff in September.
However, there was still anger from Conservative critics, who continue to question her impartiality during her inquiry into Downing Street parties.
Acoba said on Friday that “no evidence” was provided to the committee that Ms Gray’s “decision-making or ability to remain impartial was impaired whilst she remained in her Civil Service role”, and that “no evidence has been provided by the departments to demonstrate Ms Gray made decisions or took action in office which favoured the employer in expectation of this role”.
But while Mr Quin’s statement said the prime minister accepted the advice from the committee, the Cabinet Office inquiry into her discussions with Labour – launched after Sky broke the news about the talks – still criticised her handling of the events.
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Sue Gray’s appointment sparked a fiery debate in the Commons when it was first revealed
“The Civil Service management code sets out that all members of the senior Civil Service are in the ‘politically restricted’ category, which places further restrictions on their political activity,” he said.
“In addition, the guidance on the declaration and management of interests for civil servants, which is enshrined in departmental HR policies, sets out that individuals must declare all relevant outside interests to their line manager as soon as they arise.”
“This [inquiry] process, led by the Civil Service, found that the Civil Service code was prima facie broken as a result of the undeclared contact between Ms Gray and the leader of the opposition.”
Labour insisted “all rules were complied with” and the Acoba process “makes that clear”.
A party spokesperson added: “This statement is a political stunt by a Tory government out of ideas and out of road.
“It says everything you need to know about the Tories that they have spent weeks wasting time on this Mickey Mouse nonsense, while refusing to investigate the serious allegations of sexual assault against their London mayoral hopeful, Daniel Korski.
“We’re looking forward to Sue Gray joining us this September as we continue to show the country that only Labour can build a better Britain.”
Sir Keir Starmer has joined other European leaders in Kyiv to press Russia to agree an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
The prime minister is attending the summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, recently-elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
It is the first time the leaders of the four countries have travelled to Ukraine at the same time – arriving in the capital by train – with their meeting hosted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz travelling in the saloon car of a special train to Kyiv. Pic: Reuters
Leaders arrive in Kyiv by train. Pic: PA
It comes after Donald Trump called for “ideally” a 30-day ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, and warned that if any pause in the fighting is not respected “the US and its partners will impose further sanctions”.
Security and defence analyst Michael Clarke told Sky News presenter Samantha Washington the European leaders are “rowing in behind” the US president, who referred to his “European allies” for the first time in this context in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“So this meeting is all about heaping pressure on the Russians to go along with the American proposal,” he said.
“It’s the closest the Europeans and the US have been for about three months on this issue.”
Sir Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron among world leaders in Kyiv. Pic: AP
Trump calls for ceasefire. Pic: Truth Social
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine and its allies are ready for a “full, unconditional ceasefire” for at least 30 days starting on Monday.
Ahead of the meeting on Saturday, Sir Keir, Mr Macron, Mr Tusk and Mr Merz released a joint statement.
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The hope is Russia’s unilateral ceasefire, such as it’s worth, can be extended for a month to give peace a chance.
But ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian sources told Sky News they are still waiting for President Donald Trump to put his full weight behind the idea.
The US leader has said a 30-day ceasefire would be ideal, but has shown no willingness yet for putting pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin to agree.
The Russians say a ceasefire can only come after a peace deal can be reached.
European allies are still putting their hopes in a negotiated end to the war despite Moscow’s intransigence and President Trump’s apparent one-sided approach favouring Russia.
Ukrainians would prefer to be given enough economic and military support to secure victory.
But in over three years, despite its massive economic superiority to Russia and its access to more advanced military technology, Europe has not found the political will to give Kyiv the means to win.
Until they do, Vladimir Putin may decide it is still worth pursuing this war despite its massive cost in men and materiel on both sides.
“We reiterate our backing for President Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace,” they said.
“Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace.”
Sir Keir and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in March. Pic: AP
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The leaders said they were “ready to support peace talks as soon as possible”.
But they warned that they would continue to “ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine” until Moscow agrees to a lasting ceasefire.
“We are clear the bloodshed must end, Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognised borders for generations to come,” their statement added.
“We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine.”
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The European leaders are set to visit the Maidan, a central square in Ukraine’s capital where flags represent those who died in the war.
They are also expected to host a virtual meeting for other leaders in the “coalition of the willing” to update them on progress towards a peacekeeping force.
Military officers from around 30 countries have been involved in drawing up plans for a coalition, which would provide a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire being agreed between Russia and Ukraine.
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This force “would help regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces after any peace deal and strengthen confidence in any future peace”, according to Number 10.
A special constable has been jailed after taking pictures on his phone from bodycam footage showing a dying man.
Former police volunteer William Heggs, 23, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment at Leicester Crown Court on Friday after showing the photos of victim William Harty, 28, to a female colleague and storing them on his Snapchat account.
Mr Harty was found seriously injured in a residential street in Leicester on 25 October 2021 and Heggs had attended the scene, helping with CPR before paramedics arrived.
Mr Harty died in hospital a day later and the man responsible for his injuries, his brother-in-law Martin Casey, was subsequently convicted of his manslaughter.
Heggs showed the pictures he had taken of bodycam footage of Mr Harty’s body to a Leicestershire Police constable, who reported Heggs and said she did not like seeing blood.
His phone was seized and officers discovered other photographs and video clips of bodyworn footage of incidents Heggs had attended on duty, including of a knife seizure, use of baton and pepper spray, and a man with an injured hand receiving first aid.
He also took pictures of a police computer screen, showing details of crimes and suspects, without consent.
Heggs stored the materials in a Snapchat folder and disclosed graphic details – most of which were not in the public domain – about the injuries to a woman who was killed in a road traffic collision he had attended, to a friend on the social media platform.
Heggs was suspended from the force in November 2021 and resigned in October 2024 before pleading guilty to 11 computer misuse and data protection offences this March.
William Harty’s widow Mandy Casey. Pic: PA
‘He has traumatised me’
Mr Harty’s widow, Mandy Casey, said in a victim impact statement read to the court that Heggs “took (her) husband’s dignity when he was most vulnerable”.
“You don’t take someone’s dignity and pride from them on their deathbed.”
She continued: “When I found out special constable Heggs had done this, I just wanted to ask why. He has traumatised me. I feel I will never know if he showed them to others.”
Ms Casey said she was still scared that photos of her husband’s body might appear on social media.
She added that she had lost trust in the police.
Public trust in police ‘significantly undermined’
Judge Timothy Spencer told Heggs, who has autism and ADHD, that he was “probably too immature to be working as a police officer” as he handed down the sentence.
He said Heggs had received “extensive training”, including on the importance of data protection, and knew he should only share materials for “a genuine policing purpose”.
Heggs’s actions had “significantly undermined” public trust and confidence in police, according to the judge.
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Malcolm McHaffie, from the Crown Prosecution Service, added: “William Heggs abused the public’s trust in the office he held as a special police constable.
“He violated the dignity of the deceased victims for no apparent reason other than what could be considered personal fascination and to gain credibility among his peers.”
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