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, criticising Boris Johnson and the Conservative government of the time.

Sue Gray has stepped down from her role as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, as announced by Number 10. She has been appointed as the prime minister’s envoy for nations and regions. Morgan McSweeney, the party’s former campaign director who led July’s election landslide, will take over as the prime minister’s chief of staff.