Wes Streeting has accused Tory critics of Sue Gray of spouting "crackpot conspiracy theories" about her appointment as Sir Keir Starmer's new chief of staff. 

Mr Streeting was told during an interview on BBC Breakfast that some people may view the appointment as unacceptable given Ms Gray has left a senior role in the civil service to join Labour - but the shadow health secretary rejected the idea. 

He said: "I find that a bit hard to swallow to be honest. You can look at serious Conservative politicians, I realise they are in short supply today, but you look at previous serious Conservative politicians, Francis Maude who led the Cabinet Office, now a Conservative member of the House of Lords, George Osborne, former chancellor, all saying very much the same thing that Sue Gray is someone of impeccable integrity, bear in mind that was what the Government said when the inquiry into partygate was launched. 

"She has worked for successive governments as a civil servant, Labour and Conservative, and no one has ever suggested that she gossips about the previous administration or divulges things that she shouldn’t, she is a consummate professional by all accounts. 

"I think it, to be honest, says a lot about the state of the current Conservative Party and why Rishi Sunak finds it so hard to manage the rabble that we have had all sorts of crackpot conspiracy theories rolled out for an appointment which is, I can understand why they might find it embarrassing that people are looking to Labour and want to work with Labour as potentially the next government, but I think it is sad that some Conservatives have chosen to traduce the reputation of a good civil servant in this way."