Sue Gray will not attend summit in new regions role

Ex-No 10 chief of staff Sue Gray will not attend a regional investment summit on Friday, after recently becoming the PM's regional envoy.

The civil servant was appointed to the newly-created role at the weekend, after leaving her former job amid internal battles over her influence.

Government sources said she is taking a break before taking up her new position, and will begin her new duties in the coming weeks.

Downing Street is yet to publish details of her responsibilities as Sir Keir Starmer's envoy for the UK's nations and regions.

The prime minister is due to chair the first-ever meeting of a new Council of the Nations and Regions in Scotland on Friday.

Leaders of devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to attend, along with regional English mayors.

The meeting is expected to focus on how to boost regional investment, ahead of a big UK-hosted international investment summit next week.

Whitehall veteran Ms Gray, who became a household name after leading the government's internal inquiry into the Partygate scandal, left as Sir Keir's chief of staff on Sunday after just three months in the post.

She has been replaced by longtime Starmer ally Morgan McSweeney, who has been credited with masterminding Labour's election victory in July.

She had been the subject of negative stories alleging clashes with other senior officials, and caught up in a row over the pay of No 10 advisers.