Sue Gray’s final departure marks the moment that the Starmer project gets serious | Martin Kettle

<p>The prime minister has finally grasped that Downing Street must control the narrative. But is it too late to undo this summer’s self-inflicted damage?</p><p>Sue Gray’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/06/sue-gray-resigns-as-keir-starmer-chief-of-staff-downing-street">departure</a> matters. But not in the way some may assume. Gray became famous because of three things: her Partygate investigation under Boris Johnson, her recruitment to Keir Starmer’s team in opposition and for having once run a pub in Northern Ireland. It all turned her into just about the only British civil servant whom people beyond Whitehall might recognise on the news.</p><p>It was therefore predictable that her fall from power would also be depicted in personality terms. Sure enough, Gray’s original ousting in October was attributed to a turf war with Morgan McSweeney, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/06/sniping-and-criticism-what-led-to-sue-grays-resignation-and-what-happens-now">now her successor</a> as Downing Street chief of staff. Or to the fact that Labour special advisers were disgruntled over their pay differentials. Gray’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/nov/12/keir-starmer-poised-to-withdraw-sue-gray-job-offer">final exit this week</a> was also reportedly triggered by Starmer’s frustration that she had not started work on the job to which he demoted her five weeks ago.</p><p>Martin Kettle is a Guardian columnist</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/14/sue-gray-departure-starmer-project-serious">Continue reading...</a>