Labour did not do sufficient considering, ex-top official says

The Labour Social gathering had not finished “sufficient considering” about a few of its plans earlier than taking workplace, the previous high civil servant has stated.

Simon Case informed the BBC Sir Keir Starmer’s high crew “weren’t ok at speaking what [they] wished to be finished” within the early days of the Labour authorities.

However Case stated he didn’t suppose it was “proper to explain it as a chaos”.

Case, who served 4 prime ministers, was essentially the most senior official in authorities from September 2020 to December 2024, when he stepped down on well being grounds.

The cupboard secretary function includes advising the prime minister, main implementation of the federal government’s insurance policies and managing different high-level civil servants.

Case was within the function for the six months after Labour received the overall election final yr and was concerned within the transition between governments.

These early months have been marked by riots following the stabbings of younger ladies at a dance class in Southport, a row over ministers accepting freebies, and Sue Grey leaving her function as Sir Keir’s chief of workers.

In his first interview concerning the early days of the Labour authorities, Case was requested whether or not ministers had finished sufficient desirous about what they have been going to do in workplace.

Case informed the BBC: “There have been some components the place not sufficient considering had been finished.

“There have been areas the place, sitting within the centre of presidency, early in a brand new regime, the prime minister and his crew, together with me as his kind of core crew, knew what we wished to do, however we weren’t speaking that successfully throughout all of presidency.”

He continued: “Undoubtedly I’d say, early on, we weren’t ok at speaking what wished to be finished and what that wanted to be to everyone.”

However he added: “I completely do not suppose it’s proper to explain it as a chaos.”

Case stated the scandal over presents and hospitality, which unfolded in authorities in the summertime of 2024, was a results of “naivety” on the a part of Sir Keir and his crew.

He stated it was a “very troublesome” interval for the prime minister as a result of it meant his “family members [being] pulled into politics”.

Talking about his relationship with Sue Grey for the primary time, Case stated that it was a “very uncommon” choice by Sir Keir to nominate her as his chief of workers.

Earlier than taking on the function, Grey had spent many years as a civil servant and have become a family identify because the official appointed to research lockdown events in Downing Road throughout Boris Johnson’s premiership.

Case stated her transfer into celebration politics from the civil service “was a supply of monumental controversy throughout the civil service”.

He stated as a result of Grey had arrived in Sir Keir’s operation lower than a yr earlier than the overall election, it meant the crew “wasn’t kind of absolutely bedded in and examined” previous to coming into authorities.

Grey was changed by Morgan McSweeney, who was beforehand chief adviser to the prime minister and masterminded Labour’s common election marketing campaign.

Case stated the prime minister’s choice to switch Grey with McSweeney “was an excellent appointment” as a result of “I may see proper from the primary day of getting conversations with him how sharp a political operator he was”.

In a separate interview with the BBC, cupboard minister Pat McFadden additionally advised for the primary time the prime minister had sacked Sue Grey as his chief of workers.

When her departure was introduced by Downing Road in October 2024, it included a press release from Grey saying that she had “chosen to face apart”.

McFadden stated: “I feel it is an amazing disgrace it did not work out, however after a couple of months the prime minister determined it wasn’t figuring out and made the change.”

He added: “One factor I feel that individuals have learnt about Keir Starmer is that if he thinks one thing is not figuring out or shouldn’t be proper, he’ll make the mandatory change.”

The interviews with Case and McFadden function in Starmer’s Stormy Yr, a BBC Radio 4 documentary out there on BBC Sounds and on Radio 4 on Monday at 11am.