Northern Ireland

Top Stormont civil servant Sue Gray takes new role with Cabinet Office

Sue Gray is leaving the Department of Finance. Picture by Simon Graham Photography
Sue Gray is leaving the Department of Finance. Picture by Simon Graham Photography Sue Gray is leaving the Department of Finance. Picture by Simon Graham Photography

TOP Stormont civil servant Sue Gray is to return to London to take up a post in the Cabinet Office.

Mrs Gray (63), who alongside country singer husband Bill Conlon ran the Cove Bar near Newry in the 1980s, will step down as Department of Finance permanent secretary in the coming weeks.

Her new post will see her in charge of policy on the union and the constitution, reporting to Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove.

She was among three Stormont departments permanent secretaries who were last year shortlisted for the role of head of the regional civil service.

The post remains unfilled and has been readvertised after First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill failed to agree on a candidate.

Before arriving in the north in 2018, Mrs Gray a built a reputation as one of Whitehall's most effective civil servants. Immediately prior to taking up her role at the Department of Finance, she served for six years as Director General Propriety & Ethics team, overseeing the probe that led to the resignation of the then prime minister Theresa May's deputy Damien Green.

Mrs Gray tweeted that she was "chuffed" to be appointed to the new role and would remain "fully engaged with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales".

"Big challenges ahead and I am ready to get started," she said.

Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson said Mrs Gray's departure was "Northern Ireland's loss"

He said she could have been an "excellent" head of the regional civil service and that there would be a "massive void in her leaving our public sector".