Rishi Sunak is 'doubling down on the sins of Boris Johnson', an impassioned Ed Miliband declares
3 May 2023, 10:02
Labour MP Ed Miliband lambasts the Tories for talking about the impending Sue Gray report
The Tories have chosen to focus on Sue Gray instead of their record in government, Shadow Secretary for Climate Change and Net Zero Ed Miliband has said.
The former Labour leader was speaking on Tonight With Andrew Marr about the inquiry into Sue Gray's communication with Keir Starmer about her being offered a job as his Chief of Staff.
The findings will reveal whether or not she was in breach of civil service rules, as she was a senior civil servant for the Cabinet Office while conducting her own inquiry into Partygate prior to her Labour role.
"Sue Gray is a woman of the utmost integrity", Ed Miliband said.
He continued: "I think it's very instructive Andrew, that two days before these local elections, what do the Tories choose to talk about? Do they choose to talk about their record? Do they choose to talk about their plans for the future? Do they choose to talk about their plans for the government?
"No, they choose to talk about Sue Gray - the woman who did the report into Boris Johnson. Now I thought the Boris Johnson fever had broken in the Conservative Party, but it clearly hasn't broken."
"No it hasn't", Andrew agreed.
Sir Keir Starmer refuses to answer when he first asked Sue Gray to work for him
READ MORE: Sue Gray did not cooperate with investigation into Labour hiring, government reveals
Keir Starmer has denied that job talks were held while Sue Gray was conducting the Partygate inquiry and said he feels confident that she did not break any rules.
Oliver Dowden told Parliament that the inquiry involved "interviewing relevant persons" to discover "further details" on any talks between Sir Keir Starmer and his new Chief of Staff, writing that "Ms Gray was given the opportunity to make representations as part of this process but chose not to do so".
Ed Miliband continued: "Why is Sue Gray so hated in parts of the Conservative Party? Because she revealed the truth about Boris Johnson.
"Now, I thought Rishi Sunak was the man to clean up the Boris Johnson mess! No - he wants two days before the local elections to talk about the woman who exposed Boris Johnson's law breaking!
"I don't think that is cleaning things up. I think that is doubling down actually on the sins of Boris Johnson."
