Tory fury after Sue Gray’s activist son poses with Sir Keir Starmer

Sue Gray faced fresh questions about alleged bias last night when pictures of her son emerged alongside Sir Keir Starmer – including one taken during her Partygate inquest.

The images sparked the “impartiality” row that was engulfing the former top civil servant after she gave up her role at Whitehall to become Sir Keir’s chief of staff last week.

Allies of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson claim the move shows their Partygate report, which helped oust him, was a Labor “looker”.

Snapshots unearthed by the Daily Mail show Ms Gray’s son Liam Conlon standing next to Sir Keir at the February 2020 event with Sir Keir when they nominated him to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as party leader.

The pair were pictured side by side again at another Labor Party Irish Society event on March 14 – during his mother’s Partygate inquest – where Sir Keir was booked as a speaker.

Snapshots unearthed by the Daily Mail show Liam Conlon (circled), the son of Ms Gray’s Labor activist, standing next to Sir Keir in February 2020

The images reignited the “impartiality” row that engulfed former top civil servant Sue Gray (pictured in January) after she gave up her role at Whitehall last week to become Sir Keir’s chief of staff

Ms Gray has been appointed to lead the inquiry into gatherings at Downing Street during the December 2021 lockdown. Their report was published in May last year.

It will be used as a key element in the Commons Privilege Committee’s inquiry to determine whether Mr Johnson misled Parliament about what he knew about the breach of lockdown rules.

Allies of Mr Johnson say it is “absurd” to rely on Ms Gray’s report because her new job shows she was biased. It comes after reports Mr Conlon was bragged about his mother’s role in Partygate while campaigning for Labor candidate Danny Beales in Mr Johnson’s Uxbridge seat in west London.

Former Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to believe that Sue Gray has magically transformed herself into a politician who was previously impartial. It looks like the civil service is harboring a socialist sleeper cell and devaluing their previous work.”

Former Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “The extent of the collusion between the Gray family and the Labor Party and the depth of their relationship is scandalous. It challenges the fundamental principles of impartiality, professional standards and transparency in public service.’

Tory MP Simon Clarke said: “After a week when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, it is now clear how closely Sue Gray’s family is involved not only in Labor Party politics but in the campaign in particular to destroy Boris Johnson.

“Sue Gray must have known of her son’s close ties to Sir Keir Starmer when she was asked to lead such a high-profile inquiry into a Conservative Prime Minister. These revelations reinforce the need for a proper investigation into what happened before the Privileges Committee proceeds with what is increasingly feeling like a witch hunt against an elected prime minister.’

Former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “These revelations show that Sue Gray is part of a Labor network plotting against Boris Johnson.”

Sue Gray with Labor politicians Tessa Jowell and Baroness Lawrence and their son

But Labor hit back last night with a senior party source, saying: “To suggest that Sue Gray’s long, cherished career … will be undermined in any way by her son’s political opinions is wild.”

Ms Gray is expected to formally seek permission to become Sir Keir’s Chief of Staff today. She will submit her application to the Business Meetings Advisory Committee, where she will need to set out the timeline for her talks with Labour.

Under public service rules, she should have explained when Labor first approached her about taking the job. However, she was faced with questions about whether she had breached that requirement after officials first learned of her resignation on Thursday.

Labor has refused to say when it first contacted her.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk