The toxic turf war taking over number 10. Insiders reveal how Starmer's chief of staff Sue Gray is on a mission to oust her rivals... especially if they are men
Daily MailAmong the crowd of flag-waving well-wishers shipped into Downing Street for Sir Keir Starmer's carefully choreographed arrival as Prime Minister, few were savouring the moment quite like Luke Sullivan. Sue Gray, Starmer's chief of staff, was accused recently of 'hoarding power' at No 10 It also looked shrewd as the 40-something Sullivan rapidly became one of the central figures in Starmer's dozen-strong top team, working towards election victory, and was often spoken of in the same breath as acolytes such as Morgan McSweeney, the PM's all-powerful head of political strategy. But Sullivan was also almost certainly a victim of an unsavoury power struggle that has erupted inside Downing Street, and which is being characterised as a fight between Gray's 'girls gang' and McSweeney's 'boys brigade'. Gray's key supporters are all women, deputy communications chief Steph Driver, director of strategy Deborah Mattinson – another figure from the Brown-Blair era – and Sophie Nazemi, who is the Downing Street press secretary.
History of this topic
NADINE DORRIES: Like Keir, I was also hoodwinked by Sue Gray. Here's how...
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Revealed: Battle between Sue Gray and 'The Boys' that shows her growing influence - and whispers she may end up a Labour MP
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