Sir Keir Starmer is alleged to have met Sue Gray about becoming his chief of staff months before the Government knew.
The Labour leader has been called a “hypocrite” over the move. A probe by watchdog Acoba says Sir Keir and the top civil servant met months before the discussions came to light.
Gray was in charge of running the Government’s partygate inquiry. But a damning report from the Cabinet office this week will reportedly say she breached impartiality rules and could be sacked.
Acoba will give Ms Gray a six month ban — clearing the way for her to take up the Labour job in the autumn, reports The Sun.
Some Conservatives want Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to force her to wait until after next year’s election.
One told The Sun: “Damning information in the report will show Starmer’s a total hypocrite on standards — and not a man of his word.”
The report is expected to reveal Gray began speaking to Labour in October, five months before she quit her Whitehall job. She had, however, finished working on her Boris Johnson partygate probe but was still working as a civil servant.
The Cabinet Office inquiry will find she “fell short” of civil service standards and was “in breach” of her contract. Sir Keir has always insisted Gray did nothing wrong.
