The PM's former chief-of-staff Sue Gray (Image: Getty)

       Sir Keir Starmer's former chief-of-staff Sue Gray's future remained unclear today as Downing Street said she was still on a "short break".

       The ex-civil servant was announced to have left her role on October 6 following a power struggle in Number 10 and just three months after Labour came to power.

       Ms Gray, who was replaced by the party's election campaign manager Morgan McSweeney with whom she was reported to have clashed, was appointed as "envoy to the nations and regions".

       But she was later said to be taking a brief hiatus before taking up her new position and missed a key meeting of regional leaders.

       And more than a fortnight on from her exit, No 10 was unable to say when she would start the role.

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       Asked when Ms Gray might start in the envoy position, the Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters: "I haven't got an update beyond what we've said previously on that."

       Pressed on whether the former civil servant was still on a "short break", the spokesman added: "That's right.

       "I haven't got an update since when I previously said she was taking a short break between roles and will be taking up duties in the future."

       And asked whether Ms Gray was still earning a salary while having some time off, he said: "I'm not going to get into HR issues.

       "As I say, she's taking a short break between roles and will be taking up duties in the coming weeks."

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       The former senior civil servant with decades of Whitehall experience cited "intense commentary about my position" that risked becoming a "distraction" when she stood down after weeks of negative briefings against her.

       They included the leaking of information about her ￡170,000 salary - ￡3,000 more than the PM.

       Number 10 had been plagued by reports of infighting with rows over Ms Gray's salary and government freebies.

       Ms Gray, who was thrust into the limelight in 2021 when she investigated partygate, quit the civil service to join Labour last year.