Sir Keir Starmer’s former chief of employees Sue Grey has taken up her place within the Home of Lords after she was nominated by the prime minister for a peerage.
Ms Gray will now be often called Baroness Grey of Tottenham, representing the place in north London the place she was born.
The previous civil servant, who quit Downing Street last October after about three months within the position, was nominated for a life peerage by the prime minister in December.
She had resigned from her job as Sir Keir’s prime adviser amid an influence battle in Quantity 10.
It noticed Morgan McSweeney, Labour’s former marketing campaign director who masterminded the occasion’s election landslide, change her within the position.
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Ms Grey rose to public prominence after authoring the report into parties in Downing Street during the pandemic.
Her transfer to Labour attracted headlines from the start, with the Tories elevating questions on how a lot contact she’d had with the occasion concerning the prime job whereas nonetheless a civil servant.
Nevertheless it was an inner row that led to her leaving the chief of employees position, with Labour’s first three months in workplace dominated by unfavourable headlines about her.
Tensions over Ms Grey’s place reached a crescendo when her wage of £170,000 – some £3,000 greater than the prime minister – was leaked to the BBC in an obvious try to wreck her politically.
It was additionally reported on the time that she was blamed by occasion employees who have been disgruntled they weren’t being paid greater than what they acquired when Labour was in opposition.
Ms Grey missed Labour’s first party conference in energy because the prime minister attracted scrutiny for the greater than £100,000 price of items he accepted as Labour chief, together with tickets to soccer matches, live shows and luxurious garments.
Baroness Grey was later provided the position of the prime minister’s envoy for the nations and areas, which she ultimately rejected after lacking the first key summit related to her new remit.
In her resignation letter final October, Ms Grey mentioned that whereas it had been “an honour to tackle the position of chief of employees”, it had turn into clear that “intense commentary round my place risked changing into a distraction to the federal government’s very important work of change”.
“It’s for that motive I’ve chosen to face apart, and I sit up for persevering with to help the prime minister in my new position,” she added.
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Ms Grey was amongst 30 new Labour peerages introduced forward of Christmas to redress the occasion “imbalance” within the Home of Lords.
The Conservatives nominated six folks, and the Liberal Democrats two.
Taking her seat within the unelected Home of Lords, Ms Grey wore the normal scarlet robes for the quick introduction ceremony within the higher chamber, the place she swore the oath of allegiance to the King.
She was supported by former Whitehall chief and unbiased crossbencher Lord O’Donnell and fellow Labour peer Baroness Harman.
Her son, the Labour MP Liam Conlon, watched the ceremony from the general public gallery within the Lords.
