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Watch: Starmer squirms over Gray job offer

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Oh dear. Just this morning Mr S was wondering how Labour can justify its job offer to Sue Gray. And it seems Sir Keir is having similar difficulty in doing so too. Appearing on LBC this morning for his weekly ‘Call Keir’ segment, the Labour leader was asked six times about when the party first approached the senior civil servant but Starmer refused to answer. Quelle surprise…

Presenter Nick Ferrari did his damnedest, asking whether Gray was first approached this year or last year. Sir Keir declined to answer, only saying it was a ‘recent’ approach, following the departure of his previous chief of staff in October. It was, he said, after he had a period ‘working through in my own mind what I wanted from a chief of staff.’ Despite Ferrari’s dogged efforts, Starmer could only insist that ‘there’s nothing improper.’

So much for all that talk about transparency, eh?

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Steerpike
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Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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