Sue Grey, chief of staff of Keir Starmer, had a salary of £170,000, which is higher than that of the prime minister.

After the election, Grey received a pay increase, even though other political special advisors were not thrilled with their pay decrease from their former positions at the Labour party.

First, the BBC revealed that Gray's pay was £3,000 higher than Starmer's £166,786 salary.

"It was suggested that she might want to go for a few thousand pounds less than the prime minister to avoid this very story," a source told the channel. She said no.

Government sources, however, denied it, calling it "absolutely categorically untrue" and asserting that she had no say over her own salary.Gray’s salary is higher than any other special adviser, according to published data. Her predecessor in the chief of staff job for Rishi Sunak, Liam Booth-Smith, was paid £140,000 to £145,000 a year.

Gray took a job with Starmer after working in the civil service at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, where her salary band was £150,000 to £155,000. The boost in Gray’s pay comes after the prime minister signed off a rebanding of the salaries for special advisers shortly after taking office.

Banding for special advisers was revised by officials, and the individual amounts of pay were approved by the prime minister.

However, the BBC reported that a Whitehall committee of civil servants responsible for special adviser pay and terms had also been attended by Gray, and No 10’s director of political strategy, Morgan McSweeney.

A spokesman for the Cabinet Office stated: "It is false to suggest that political appointees have made any decisions on their own pay bands or determining their own pay." The administration remained silent on individual salaries.

"Authorities, not political appointees, make all decisions regarding special adviser compensation." Special advisers are not authorised to approve the use of public funds or to oversee budgets, as stated in the public domain.