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BRITISH PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer has insisted he is “completely in control” following a row within the UK Government over his top adviser’s pay.
Disclosures that Sue Gray, the Starmer’s chief of staff, received a pay rise after the election, which means she earns more than Starmer, have sparked a row within the British Government and prompted opposition critics to demand answers about how the decision was made.
But Starmer would not be drawn into the row as he spoke to broadcasters before Labour’s party conference this weekend, only insisting his team was focused on his Government’s “big mandate to deliver change”.
The BBC said a number of sources had briefed the organisation on Gray’s salary increase, meaning she earns about £3,000 (€3,570) more than Starmer, who is paid about £167,000 (€198,850).
Starmer signed off a re-banding of the salaries for special advisers shortly after taking office in July, according to the BBC.
This is not reflected in the most recent publicly available report outlining special adviser salaries and pay bands, which is from July 2023.
The appointment of Gray, a former senior civil servant whose report into lockdown-era parties within Downing Street contributed to the downfall of then-prime minister Boris Johnson, to Starmer’s team has been controversial.
The BBC report on her pay is the latest of a number of negative stories about the aide, and comes amid suggestions of mounting acrimony at the heart of the new Government over her earnings.
Downing Street denied this week that there was a “nest of vipers” behind the scenes in Starmer’s administration after reports of tensions involving senior officials, including between Gray and director of political strategy Morgan McSweeney.
Asked in an interview before the Labour Party conference why chief of staff Sue Gray was getting paid more than him, Starmer told BBC South East he was “not going to get into discussions about individual salaries about any members of my staff”.
Pressed on whether he had a grip on his team following briefings about Gray, Starmer said: “I’m completely in control. I’m focused and every day the message from me to the team is exactly the same, which is we have to deliver.
“We were elected on a big mandate to deliver change, I am determined that we are going to do that.”
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds had earlier told Sky News ministers had “no political input” in the pay of their advisers, as he defended Starmer.
He said there was a “long-standing process” for determining earnings for aides and dismissed suggestions that the Prime Minister had personally intervened to increase Gray’s pay.
The focus on the chief of staff’s pay comes at an awkward time for the PM as it swiftly follows another row about his and his wife’s acceptance of lavish gifts from prominent Labour donor and peer Waheed Alli.
Speaking to broadcasters today, Reynolds stuck to the line that he has “no problem” with ministers getting a “chance for a little bit of relaxation” as part of their jobs.
Starmer has accepted around £39,000 (€46,440) from Alli since December 2019, as well as nearly £40,000 (€47,630) in tickets from the Premier League.
These included four Taylor Swift tickets during the election campaign worth £4,000 (€4,760) and thousands of pounds worth of tickets to Arsenal games.
Starmer would not be drawn into details about his football seating arrangements when asked about the matter by BBC Yorkshire.
Starmer confirmed he was still a season ticket holder, but said “security advice” suggested he should not sit in the stands or risk “the taxpayer an absolute fortune to put I don’t know how many police officers in”.
The British Prime Minister said he would not be drawn into revealing if he would instead be watching from a box, as it would “reinvent the same problem we’re trying to avoid”, adding: “But yes I’m not going to be in the stands anymore.”
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Where is the “both milk and water” option?
@DaisyChainsaw: milk is mainly water
@Sandra O’Fucáif: Ever try banana?
@John’s Voyage: I prefer porridge
@Sandra O’Fucáif: See now I put the oats in a pan then add 1 teacup of water and 1 teacup of milk a tsp of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I suppose it takes all kinds to make a world…
@DaisyChainsaw: my first thought too. 50/50
@Sandra O’Fucáif: I put oats in a pot of water the night before then I boil it in the morning.
@DaisyChainsaw: I see by that pic that it has left out sheep droppings too…
Porridge is made using milk and oats. Gruel is made using water and oats. Bad music is made using Hall and Oates
@Finbarr Dowling:
Hall and Oates made good music!
@Finbarr Dowling: blasphemy!
Whoever says it’s nicer with water is lying to you and to themselves!
@Conall Foynes: Oh right and you know everything of course…..buff^^n!
I make with water then add milk and honey. Even broken bits of chocolate added is nice to.
I make it with 3/4 milk and 1/4 water. Its then topped with cinnamon or honey. No room for this reply in the survey, so how valid is the survey?
Porridge reminds me of my days lost in the British prison system.
Milk, u can drink water all the but them bones them bones need calcium
Oats + water = gruel.
We use milk now, it’s so much creamier. In college though, we saved our milk money for beer so porridge was made on water.
Both with raspberries and strawberries…. mmmmm
Ffs
@rse biscuits: give it to us straight.. be honest…as if folks would lie….jesus…
@Dan: Hey man this is serious stuff! Milk or water?!?!? Tell me now!!!!
@Dan: Not the first porridge poll either! http://www.thejournal.ie/lunch-crunch-poll-2-3637031-Oct2017/
@rse biscuits: lol
Sugar or Salt? – Wow this is an important, life changing, poll – but will be interesting to see which granny was right!
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: Supergran was right
Milk and a bit of jam mixed in.
@Arthur Pewty: Weetabix-yum yum!
If im feeling a bit posh I push the boat out and use cream…
Milk, only milk, cows milk, you manky water people.
@Mr. H: screw you. We ain’t got the money for milk. Lol
T’was so cold out there this morning I seriously considered using petrol to make it…
I use Almond milk on my gluten free porridge.. I died my hair blue too.
Mixed the night before with Yogurt put in the fridge and add banana, blueberries and raspberries the following morning a bit different but beautiful.
Rich feckers using your fancy milk. Probably use honey too. Pffffffff..
Soak it overnight in buttermilk…top it off with raisins or blueberries, you’d bate bulls out of a bog after it!!!
I use both, favourite meal of the day
Full cream milk…..lovely
Water was only used by the masses in Ireland when no one had a pot to ……. in .
Very nice made with Baileys.
Make it with water but add lashings of Kerrygold.
@Jenny Powell: I’m not alone
Both
coconut milk, honey, fresh walnuts, mandarin segments = power breakfast
Almond milk, cacao and a little bit of honey
If you can add whiskey to home-made marmalade, you can add whiskey to water when making porridge.
Milk,honey,bananas, few nuts
Both , and add butter and sugar #dontjudge
I use Almond Milk on Flahavans Microwave porridge the add Honey Blueberries Raspberries & Strawberries and Rachel’s yogurt and fall bush with Lidl’s Crunchy Linseed
Delicious and keeps you satisfied till lunchtime !!
Full fat milk makes it absolutely delicious.. but you could also use low fat or water..
Some use Alpro, almond milk and some might use apple juice?
have your say