Cabinet Secretary: Attempts made to weaponise Gray case to attack civil service

The UK’s most senior civil servant has hit out at attempts to “weaponise” the row over partygate investigator Sue Gray, as he rejected Boris Johnson’s criticism of the former civil servant.

Appearing before MPs on Wednesday, Cabinet Secretary Simon Case criticised attacks on the civil service and disparaged the “dehumanising” language of “the blob”, an increasingly common refrain among some Tory MPs to describe officials.

Ms Gray became the centre of a political row, after it emerged she would be taking a job as chief of staff to Sir Keir Starmer. The move prompted vocal criticism by the former prime minister, as well as attacks by his allies and backers.

The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) said last month it had seen “no evidence” that her decision making or impartiality was “impaired” while serving in Whitehall.

Mr Case, asked by committee chair and Conservative MP William Wragg about Mr Johnson’s criticism, said: “We found no evidence that Sue’s report was affected by party-political considerations.

“And actually I am not sure the timeline, as we now understand it from the material in the Acoba judgment, quite works.

“Sue’s report was produced early in 2022, her first contact as we understand it from the material she provided to Acoba was in October 2022.

“So there seems to be a timeline, a gap, as well.”

Later, he told Tory MP David Jones: “It has been particularly important that we assure ourselves and ministers that ministers are comfortable and happy that the impartiality of the Civil Service has been upheld. They are satisfied it has.

“Undoubtedly, there are people who have sought to weaponise this case.”

He also said that there was no evidence Ms Gray had breached impartiality rules: “Nobody produced any evidence that could cast doubt that Sue’s advice was ever coloured by party-political views.”

It comes after a Cabinet Office investigation there had been a “prima facie” breach of the Civil Service Code as a result of “undeclared contact” between Ms Gray and Sir Keir.

He said that in the end the incident had not undermined confidence in the Civil Service and its impartiality, but that officials were now looking again at current guidance in light of the case.

Elsewhere in the hearing, he said the last five years had seen a deterioration in relations between officials and politicians, although he added that the situation had improved since Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister.

The Cabinet Secretary told MPs: “The last five years or so have seen, I think, an increased number of attacks on civil servants individually and collectively by significant political figures which has undoubtedly undermined the good functioning of government.

“I’m very happy to say that under this Prime Minister things have changed very significantly.”

He said the tone of ministers talking about civil servants in public had “changed quite significantly”.

Asked about attacks on the establishment “blob” by current and recent ministers, Mr Case said the Prime Minister had rejected that term.

Mr Case added: “Obviously I don’t agree with a characterisation which is insulting, dehumanising, totally unacceptable.

“It would surprise me if current ministers were using this language, not least because if they were it would indicate something akin to self-defeating cowardice.”

He added: “There has always been language that has been around for people to express their frustrations – the establishment, the system.”

“I think this is a bit different,” he said.

“I fear it is being used in a very modern, dehumanising way.”