I'm in management, says Keir Starmer after Sue Gray wage leak

The Prime Minister has insisted he’s “fully in control” after the BBC revealed a Government row over workers pay.

It has emerged that Sir Keir Starmer's chief of workers Sue Gray has obtained a pay rise, that means she’s going to now earn greater than him.

The story, fed to the BBC by a lot of sources, paints an image of frayed relationships on the centre of presidency, lower than three months after Labour gained the overall election.

Challenged by BBC South East political editor Charlotte Wright over a sequence of off-the-record briefings about Ms Gray, the Prime Minister mentioned: “I remain focused and the message from me to the team every day is exactly the same, that we have to get the job done.”

He mentioned: “We have been elected on a massive mandate to bring about change. I am determined that we will do that.”

Sir Keir in an interview with different BBC regional political editors defended his resolution to just accept company hospitality from Arsenal Resigning as president of the soccer membership, he mentioned he may now not use his season ticket as Prime Minister.

The Premier League membership has made obtainable two seats for the Prime Minister within the company space of ​​the Emirates Stadium.

He mentioned he was informed that utilizing his common seat would price the taxpayer extra in safety prices.

He mentioned he “would have preferred to sit in the stands”, however accepting the company tickets was “a completely sensible decision”.

On Wednesday the BBC revealed Ms Gray had obtained a pay rise for the reason that election, taking her wage to £170,000 a 12 months – round £3,000 greater than the Prime Minister.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds rejected options the Prime Minister had personally intervened to spice up Ms Gray’s pay, saying ministers had “no interference” within the salaries paid to their advisers.

“There is a process in place, it's a civil service process, there has been no change in that. It is wrong to say there is any kind of political input into it or that people decide their own pay bands.

“I don't even have the proper to repair the salaries of my advisers… I believe there are officers in our system who receives a commission greater than the politicians and this example has not modified,” he mentioned. informed BBC Breakfast,

Mr Reynolds acknowledged that leaks about government issues such as Ms Gray's pay were “upsetting” and an “enduring frustration”.

Mr Reynolds also told Sky News that Ms Gray was “doing the job of this authorities, delivering on our guarantees, I believe that's what issues most to anybody working in Downing Street.”

“We're very fortunate to have Sue,” Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC on Wednesday.

Ms Gray, a former senior civil servant whose appointment Reports of Covid lockdown parties in Downing Street Last year, Sir Keir's team contributed to the downfall of then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson was controversial,

In recent weeks, she has been the subject of multiple reports of growing acrimony at the centre of the new government, including between Ms Gray, Labor Party political strategy director Morgan McSweeney and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.

Over the weekend, Sir Keir These tales had been underrated“Most of them are fully mistaken,” he said.

The Conservatives have asked whether the Prime Minister personally signed off on Ms Gray's new salary and the increase in the ceiling of the highest pay band.

He also asked whether the special advisory remuneration committee still existed and whether Ms Gray was a member of it, as well as what role it played in setting her pay and changing the pay bands.

Shadow Commons leader Chris Philp told the BBC: “The prime minister's chief of workers is getting an enormous pay rise. At the identical time, this Labour authorities is chopping the winter gas cost for pensioners paid at half the extent of the minimal wage.”

“This is a pay rise for the friends of the Labour Party and a pay cut for pensioners in difficulty.”

Guto Harries, former Downing Street communications director underneath Boris Johnson, BBC Radio 5 Live's Matt Chorley studies that incomes a better wage than your boss in tenth place is “mainly forbidden”.

“If you settle for the No. 10 job, no matter your value, no matter you earn earlier than, it isn’t a superb factor to demand extra from the Prime Minister,” he mentioned.