Sir Keir Starmer’s newly appointed top aide, ex-civil servant Sue Gray, is facing accusations of helping to cover up damning Labour NHS performance ratings. Cabinet Minister David Davies claims that Gray dragged her heels when he tried to uncover public service woes in Wales. According to Davies, Gray, whose most recent role was in relation to strengthening the UK, was not cooperative in sharing comparable statistics from the Welsh Labour government.
Accusations of Dragging Heels and Lack of Transparency
Davies told HOAR on Sunday that he had encountered difficulties with Sue Gray during their meetings. He stated, "Frankly, I had problems with the current chief of staff to the Labour Party in her former guise as a senior civil servant. She’s not very keen at all on the UK Statistics Authority being able to demand comparable statistics from the Welsh Labour government as well as from the UK government." Davies emphasized the need for transparency and the ability to learn from each other's experiences.
Labour Denies Allegations
Labour has denied the allegations made against Sue Gray, as ministers continue to reveal their plans for running the health service. Gray, who served as a civil servant for many years, resigned from her post in March. She was instructed by a watchdog to wait six months before taking up her role with the Labour leader. Former PM Boris Johnson questioned the credibility of a Partygate probe relying on evidence from Gray's original report, but another watchdog stated that there was no evidence of impairing her decision-making or impartiality in favor of her new employer.
Ministers Call for Comparable Data and Collaboration
Health Secretary Steve Barclay has highlighted the importance of comparable data across the UK's health services. He emphasized that citizens should be able to understand the performance of the health services they receive and learn from successful strategies. Talks will also be held to explore ways of helping Wales and Scotland reduce long-term waiting times by utilizing health services in England.
Last night, a Labour spokesperson dismissed the accusations as "desperate stuff from the Tories" and reiterated that Sue Gray had played a role in agreeing to share data between the UK government and devolved administrations to improve outcomes across the country.
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