Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff uses maiden Lords speech to emphasise importance of public servants

Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, Sue Gray, has told No 10 to be “careful” about civil service cuts and derogatory language about the work of Whitehall.

Making her maiden speech in the House of Lords, Gray made the case that civil servants are integral to realising the government’s objectives and will be listening to language that refers to them as “blobs” and “pen-pushers”, and talks about cuts with “axes” and “chainsaws”.