‘Hypocrite’ Sir Keir Starmer held secret talks with top civil servant Sue Gray months before Government knew

SIR Keir Starmer has been branded a hypocrite as a report reveals Labour held secret talks with Sue Gray.

The party and top civil servant discussed her becoming Sir Keir’s chief of staff months before the Government knew, the probe by watchdog Acoba will say this week.

A separate damning report by the Cabinet Office, also out this week, will say partygate inquistor Ms Gray breached impartiality rules and could have been sacked.

Acoba will give Ms Gray a six month ban — clearing the way for her to take up the Labour job in the autumn.

Some Tories want PM Rishi Sunak to force her to wait until after next year’s election.

A Tory said: “Damning information in the report will show Starmer’s a total hypocrite on standards — and not a man of his word.”

The report will reveal Ms Gray began talks with Labour last October — five months before she quit her job as Whitehall enforcer.

She had finished working on her Boris Johnson partygate probe.

But she was still a senior civil servant passing information to Parliament’s privileges committee investigating Downing Street lockdown breaches.

The Cabinet Office inquiry will find she “fell short” of civil ­service standards and was “in breach” of her contract.

Sir Keir has always said he is sure Ms Gray did not break rules.

Trending In The News on Sunday understands she plans to comply with any Acoba recommendation.