The matter needs careful handling, but there is a mechanism to do that. The agenda of those making wild and illogical claims is pretty clear
- Dave Penman is general secretary of the FDA union, which represents civil servants
There’s no getting away from the fact that Sue Gray’s potential appointment as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff is extraordinary, in every sense of the word. It’s hard to think of a similar move by a civil servant to the opposition.
Civil servants do go and work for political parties – some in senior roles, like Dan Rosenfield for Boris Johnson, or Jonathan Powell for Tony Blair. Both, ironically, were chiefs of staff.
Dave Penman is general secretary of the FDA union
