Former Labour chief of staff Sue Gray and ‘donorgate’ peer Lord Alli spotted catching up over lunch in London’s Soho_Nhy
They were the two most high-profile figures in the scandal-ridden early months of the Labour Government. So it is no wonder former chief of staff Sue Gray and ‘donorgate’ peer Lord Alli had lots to catch up on over lunch yesterday.
The pair, known to be old friends, were spotted dining at the Dean Street Townhouse in London’s Soho, where they were pictured having an animated conversation in a photo obtained by the Guido Fawkes news site.
Their meeting comes a month after Ms Gray was dramatically sacked as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, fewer than 100 days after Labour took power.
She was replaced in October by Morgan McSweeney, the political mastermind she clashed with in Downing Street over access to the Prime Minister.
Ms Gray, 67, was meant to be taking up the newly created role of Envoy to the Prime Minister for the Nations and Regions but remains on a ‘break’ – and it is thought to be increasingly unlikely that she will work for Sir Keir again.
The pair, known to be old friends, were spotted dining at the Dean Street Townhouse in London ’s Soho
They were having an animated conversation in a photo obtained by the Guido Fawkes news site
Their meeting comes a month after Ms Gray was dramatically sacked as Sir Keir Starmer ’s chief of staff
Meanwhile, Lord Alli was found last month to have breached rules four times over declarations of business interests.
The multi-millionaire media tycoon’s donations to senior Labour figures included £20,000 declared by Sir Keir for accommodation during the general election.
Last night a Tory source told the Mail: ‘I can’t imagine these two high-profile scapegoats of Starmer were discussing Sue Gray’s new confected nations and regions job. Starmer and McSweeney’s ears must have been burning. At least Sue can let Lord Alli can pick up the tab without the scrutiny his other lavish gifts have commanded.’
A Whitehall veteran added: ‘Sue Gray took a lot of flak for the mistakes of Keir Starmer. But by throwing her under a bus, and leaving her to lick her wounds with Lord Alli, he has done little to resolve the profound problems which got him in this mess in the first place.’
Ms Gray is known to be close to Labour donor and peer Lord Alli, 59, who donated £10,000 to the election campaign of her son Liam Conlon.
Before polling day, Lord Alli accompanied her to meetings with civil servants in Whitehall and, after Labour’s victory, they worked together on the timetable of announcements for the first crucial months.
Angela Rayner (pictured) was a beneficiary of Lord Alli’s largesse and agreed not to take any more free clothes
Ms Gray was said to have personally authorised Lord Alli’s security pass for Downing Street
But Ms Gray was also said to have personally authorised Lord Alli’s security pass for Downing Street, sparking a major row in the light of his generous donations to Sir Keir.
In what was dubbed the ‘passes for glasses’ affair, it emerged that the TV mogul had given Sir Keir £2,485 worth of spectacles. In total, he gave a staggering £32,000 worth of clothing to the Labour leader during the election campaign.
He also let Sir Keir stay in his £18million penthouse during the election, with the PM saying he took up the offer so his son could revise in peace for his GCSEs.
Sir Keir eventually paid back £6,000 worth of gifts he received before the election while he and his deputy leader Angela Rayner, who was also a beneficiary of Lord Alli’s largesse, agreed not to take any more free clothes.
Neither Ms Gray nor Lord Alli has commented publicly on the dramas that engulfed them over the summer, although it seems likely they were discussed at length during their meal yesterday.
