Former Tory minister claims Sue Gray asked Boris Johnson to make her NIO Permanent Secretary

Ms Dorries has long been critical of the former Stormont and Whitehall civil servant turned political advisor – accusing her of having brought down her close friend Boris Johnson over the Partygate scandal.

Ms Gray had investigated the behaviour in 10 Downing Street while the country was in various levels of covid lockdown at the height of the pandemic.

Her report was ultimately a contributing factor in the fall of the Tory Prime Minister – amid a series of other scandals and growing backbench unease at his leadership.

In a series of posts on the social media platform X, Nadine Dorries said that Sue Gray wanted a role in Northern Ireland.

Ms Dorries claims she said “Once this [the Partygate investigation] is all over, I hope you will make me Permanent Secretary in the Northern Ireland office, Prime Minister”. She claims that Boris Johnson later “discovered that Gray had been turned down for the job”.

Her post continued: “After this meeting things turned nasty and her report eventually declared that she had heard about events that really should not have taken place. None of which, of course, were known to Boris Johnson”.

In another post, Ms Dorries said “What is clear is that, at some stage, Sue Gray began talks with the Labour Party about a job with the kind of power she evidently craved. She had been blocked for the job she wanted”.

She added: “Will we suddenly see Gray popped into the Lords and into a Ministerial role in NI where at the height of the troubles she once ran a pub in the heart of violent IRA bandit country?”She further speculated, “I do wonder, how long will it be until we see Baroness Gray as Secretary of State for the Northern Ireland office?”

No additional evidence has yet been offered to corroborate any of the claims published by Nadine Dorries.

The News Letter has asked 10 Downing Street if Sue Gray disputes the claims made by Ms Dorries and is awaiting a response.