The leaking of her salary - £3,000 more than Keir Starmer's - matters not just because of the sums of money involved, but because of the resentments it reveals.
One of the aggrieved advisers quoted by the BBC in its report of Gray’s pay said: “If you ever see any evidence of our preparations for government, please let me know.” Given that Gray was hired by Starmer to prepare for government, deploying her experience as a senior civil servant, this was wounding.
The immediate cause of the unhappiness of Labour apparatchiks is that she is taking a £170,000 salary, which is more than the £167,000 that the prime minister is paid, while she is being blamed for squeezing the pay of the poor, bloody infantry.
It is claimed on her behalf that “Sue Gray had no involvement in any decision on her pay” – but she could have refused to take the full amount suggested, knowing how it would look to the outside world if she were paid more than the prime minister. One party insider joked that it made her the only pensioner better off under Labour.
Denne historien er fra September 20, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 20, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
'Sometimes tears come out, you have to be an animal'
Whether you want him to or not, 40-year-old heavyweight Derek Chisora isn’t ready to stop yet
Legacy of 'transcendent' Senna finds another gear
There’s something about sport, and the global fandom the lead protagonists generate, which triggers a propensity to heroworship.
Misfiring Madrid struggling to find European safety net
After beating the team 20th in the Premier League, Liverpool defeated the side 24th in the Champions League. The similarities may end there: it is scarcely a surprise Southampton occupy that station in England. But Real Madrid, the reigning champions of Europe, find themselves 24th after five rounds.
Hojlund brace secures win in chaotic performance
The banner in the Stretford End was written in Ruben Amorim’s native Portuguese. “Bem vindo a casa,” it read. Welcome home.
Insurance 'mega merger' is no great deal for consumers
The City loves a deal. Consumers, not so much. For them, a tieup between insurance giants Aviva and Direct Line, at a time when car insurance prices are at historic highs, is a far from enticing prospect.
Is the British car industry on the skids once more?
As Vauxhall plans to close its Luton plant putting 1,100 jobs at risk, Howard Mustoe asks if government policy is to blame
Brat girl's down and dirty
Charli XCX starts her victory lap in Manchester with a live show that’s as brazen as it is brilliant
Obsession and darkness at centre of Hitchcock classic
The 1964 psychodrama Marnie’ was blighted by its director’s behaviour towards the lead star Tippi Hedren, resulting in dramatic results on and off screen
CARDINAL SINS
The twisty, Oscar-tipped Conclave’ needed more than shock and awe, writes Clarisse Loughrey, while the beautiful loneliness of All We Imagine as Light’ will speak to your soul
MasterChef host faces the heat away from the kitchen
Gregg Wallace is stepping back from the long-running BBC show while claims of misconduct are probed. Nick Hilton looks at the story of the greengrocer-turned-TV presenter
