Oh, the sweet irony! Keir Starmer, who once wagged his finger furiously at Dominic Cummings’ pay rise under Boris Johnson’s leadership, now finds himself in quite the pickle.
It seems Starmer’s own prized recruit, Sue Gray, is pocketing a hefty sum that dwarfs Cummings’ salary… and even his own!
The very party that decried the “cronyism” of a pay rise for a civil servant during a pandemic is now happily forking out even more taxpayer money for their own top advisor.
Remember back when Dominic Cummings’ salary was revealed? Labour and their allies were up in arms, raving about the injustice of it all. How dare the government reward a controversial figure while public sector workers faced freezes and cutbacks? It was painted as the epitome of elitism and a betrayal of the common man. Keir Starmer himself was at the forefront of this outrage, lambasting the Conservative government for being out of touch and insensitive to the public’s plight.
And now? Well, how the tables have turned. Starmer has hired Sue Gray, the very woman whose report contributed to the downfall of Boris’ premiership, at a salary reportedly higher than Dominic Cummings ever received AND even higher than the Prime Minister’s. The hypocrisy is staggering. Here we have a party that has consistently criticised pay increases for senior government officials, now doing the exact same thing – and even topping it! Once again it’s the classic case of “do as I say, not as I do.”
Let’s be clear: Sue Gray’s appointment isn’t just a pay issue; it’s symbolic of Labour’s two-faced nature. They scream about fairness and equality, yet when the opportunity arises to reward one of their own, they open the coffers without a second thought. It’s fine, it seems, to pay lavishly as long as it’s not a Tory in question. Labour’s selective outrage is glaringly transparent, and it’s the sort of political opportunism that erodes public trust.
Labour’s selective outrage is glaringly transparent, and it’s the sort of political opportunism that erodes public trust.
The real kicker is that while Starmer and his comrades were pontificating about Cummings’ pay, they were perfectly happy to demonise anyone who dared suggest that a pay rise could be justified by merit or job performance. They turned it into a moral issue – and now they’ve been caught with their moral trousers down.
It’s not just about the money, though. It’s about integrity, consistency, and transparency – the very qualities that Labour claims to champion. Yet, in their eagerness to score political points and vilify their opponents, they’ve exposed themselves as hypocrites of the highest order. Starmer’s Labour is quick to condemn perceived injustices, but when faced with the same situation, they’re more than happy to look the other way.
One can only imagine the outcry if it were a Conservative leader dishing out such a salary to a high-profile recruit. The tabloids would be ablaze with accusations of cronyism and corruption. But for Starmer, the media coverage is muted, the scrutiny limited. It’s almost as if there’s one rule for Labour and another for everyone else.
The truth is, Labour has always been adept at playing the politics of envy. They love to paint the Tories as the party of the privileged few, lining the pockets of their mates at the expense of the taxpayer. But when it’s their turn to walk the walk, they trip over their own double standards. Starmer’s decision to pay Sue Gray more than Dominic Cummings ever earned is a stark reminder that Labour’s moral outrage is often more about political gain than genuine principle.
As we look at this latest twist in the Starmer saga, we see a Labour Party that is quick to condemn, slow to reflect, and utterly incapable of self-awareness.
As we look at this latest twist in the Starmer saga, we see a Labour Party that is quick to condemn, slow to reflect, and utterly incapable of self-awareness. They’ve been caught red-handed, indulging in the very behaviour they once denounced. Starmer may have hoped that Sue Gray would lend his leadership an air of authority and credibility, but instead, this episode has shown his party’s hypocrisy in full, glaring light.
So, what can we take away from this? Labour’s righteous indignation was never really about pay rises or fairness. It was about power – gaining it, wielding it, and using it to attack their opponents. But now, faced with their own actions, they’ve shown themselves up once again. They’ve cloaked their hypocrisy in a veneer of moral superiority.
Their behaviour over Sue Gray’s pay is a perfect example of why people are so disillusioned with politics. It’s not just about the policies or the personalities – it’s about trust. And how can we trust a party that preaches one thing and practises another? If Starmer and his team want to claim the moral high ground, they’d do well to stop digging the hole beneath their feet.
By Claire Bullivant, Editor
Claire is the founder and editor of the Conservative Post and was a co-founder of the Conservative Democratic Organisation.
