NADINE DORRIES reveals how Sue Gray’s dislike of Simon Case and her snub for the role of the Civil Service’s top dog led to her acrimonious defection to Labour

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It is a known fact and the worst-kept secret in Westminster that Sue Gray and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case cannot stand each other.

Whenever Gray is criticised, this is mounted in her defence, as in, ‘Yeah, but she has got the measure of Case, so she can’t be all bad.’

I have been told by a source that Case was ‘let go’ from No 10 during the time of Theresa May and went to work for the Royal Household as Private Secretary to Prince William.

During the time he was there, he lunched with Michael Gove on a regular basis.

The word ‘salad’ I was given to describe Case by civil servants appeared to come from the fact that he was so green – wholly untrained, unqualified and unable to do the job of Cabinet Secretary.

 NADINE DORRIES: It is a known fact and the worst-kept secret in Westminster that Sue Gray and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case cannot stand each other

In the third exclusive extract from her riveting exposé of the sinister forces at the heart of the Tory Party, Nadine Dorries reveals how the campaign to undermine Boris Johnson was fuelled by their fears he would be too difficult to control 

The response from permanent secretaries across Whitehall was one of universal utter amazement when the announcement was made that Dominic Cummings had demanded that he was given the job.

When Case was brought into No 10, my suspicion is that this is the point at which Gray, who had been loyal to Gove for so long, had maybe had enough and moved over to Labour.

I am sure, given that Gove has put his neck out so often to back Sue Gray, that it would be useful for him to have someone on the inside of Labour HQ. 

NADINE DORRIES: I am sure, given that Gove has put his neck out so often to back Sue Gray, that it would be useful for him to have someone on the inside of Labour HQ

Adapted from The Plot by Nadine Dorries (HarperCollins Publishers, £25), to be published on November 9. © Nadine Dorries 2023. To order a copy for £21.25 (offer valid until November 19, 2023; UK P&P free on orders over £25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. 

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