Is this what’s wrong with Britain? Keir Starmer has booted out the top woman in his Downing Street team. Some say it is a symptom of a rotten mindset that is holding the country back.
Fury over Sue Gray media ‘witch hunt’
Out: Before her post as Starmer's chief of staff, Sue Gray was best known as the author of a report into parties held at No 10 Downing Street during the pandemic, which led to Boris Johnson's downfall. Glossary
Drastic - A loose network of activists and analysts critical of the official investigation conducted by the World Health Organisation.
By-election - An election held outside a general election to replace an MP who has resigned or otherwise left office.
Hartlepool - A seaside town in northern England.
Sue Gray - A senior civil servant who entered the public eye for the first time when she was tasked with investigating lockdown breaches in government. In 2024, she was briefly Keir Starmer's chief of staff.
Chief of staff - The leader of a large and complex body or organisation.
Conservative party - A British political party. Members are known as Tories.
Predecessors - The people that came before you.
Micromanaging - Control even the small details of an activity.
Mired - To be involved in a difficult or challenging situation.
7 October - On 7 October 2023, the Palestinian group Hamas, which controls Gaza, carried out a series of surprise attacks on Israel, killing more than 1,000 people and taking more than 200 hostages.
Middle East - The lands around the east of the Mediterranean Sea and Arabia.
Civil servants - Anyone working in a government department. The civil service has long-standing traditions and strict codes of conduct that can make it a law unto itself.