Sir Keir Starmer’s hiring of Partygate buster Sue Gray is ‘more fishy than a tray full of mackerel’, senior Tories warn

SIR Keir Starmer’s hiring of Partygate chief investigator Sue Gray is “more fishy than a tray full of mackerel”, Tory MPs are claiming.

Senior Tories reignited the row amid claims the ex Civil Service enforcer had secret talks to become the Labour leader’s Chief of Staff in November.

Tory MP Scott Benton hit out: “Is it any wonder so many believe the investigation into Boris Johnson has been an establishment stitch-up?”

And Johnson loyalist Michael Fabricant added: “This is smelling more fishy than a tray full of mackerel.”

It came as Mr Johnson prepared to face MPs in a four-hour grilling tomorrow on whether he lied to Parliament about lockdown-breaking parties in No10.

The ex-PM is expected to take aim at the political bias of the various investigations.

But Labour hit back at claims Ms Gray was secretly talking to the party while liaising with the Commons’ Privileges Committee inquiry.

And the party agreed to publish full details of their approach once the Whitehall appointments body ACOBA and the Cabinet Office have completed their investigations.

Labour said: “All this information has been given to ACOBA. It’s right that they are allowed to carry out their role and we won’t be commenting.

“Once the ACOBA process has concluded we are very happy for the full facts being released on Sue Gray’s appointment.”

Mr Johnson yesterday submitted a 50-page rebuttal of the Privileges Committee’s claims.