Lord Doyle did not give full account of his actions, PM says amid peerage row
No 10 said it was not aware Sir Keir Starmer’s former aide had campaigned for a paedophile when he was appointed to the Lords.
Sir Keir Starmer said his former communications chief “did not give a full account” of his ties to a paedophile councillor when he was sent to the House of Lords.
Downing Street declined to commit to stripping Lord Matthew Doyle of his peerage, arguing this could prejudice a Labour investigation into the appointment.
Lord Doyle has apologised after having the Labour whip removed for campaigning for Sean Morton in 2017 after he had been charged over indecent images of children, saying he believed his assertions of innocence, but the councillor later admitted having the images.
Opposition parties accused the Prime Minister of a “catastrophic lack of judgment” and said he had “rolled the same pitch” as he had with former ambassador to the US Lord Peter Mandelson by claiming he had not been told of his appointees’ relationships with sex offenders.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir of knowing about his former spin doctor’s association with Moray councillor Morton when Lord Doyle took his seat in the upper chamber.
The Labour leader replied: “Matthew Doyle did not give a full account of his actions.
“On Monday I promised my party and my country there will be change.
“And yesterday I removed the whip from Matthew Doyle.”
Mrs Badenoch pointed out The Sunday Times reported on Lord Doyle’s post-charge association with Moray councillor Morton in late December, after his peerage was announced, but that he went on to take up his seat in the upper chamber in January regardless.
“Despite the Prime Minister knowing this, he gave Doyle a job for life in the House of Lords anyway,” the Conservative leader said.
But No 10 insisted there was no precedent for halting a peerage after it has been announced.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “There’s no established precedent for withdrawing a peerage nomination after the announcement stage.
“That’s why we’re undertaking wider reform to both vetting and appointment processes.”
Lord Doyle, in his vetting, did not disclose the fact he campaigned for Morton after the councillor had appeared in court in connection with indecent child images in late 2016, it is understood.
The spokesman also declined to say whether the Government could heed calls to remove the former aide’s peerage, suggesting doing so could prejudice the party’s probe.
“We’re just not going to get ahead of the investigation,” Sir Keir’s spokesman told journalists.
It comes after the Labour Party’s chairwoman Anna Turley said the Prime Minister’s former communications chief should not remain a peer, and as the Government moves to bring forward legislation to strip Lord Mandelson of his peerage.
The row comes after a torrid week for Sir Keir’s premiership, which has been rocked by two departures from Downing Street, a call from the Scottish Labour leader for him to resign and the scandal surrounding Lord Mandelson’s appointment as the UK ambassador to the US despite his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
During PMQs, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn accused Sir Keir of following the same playbook as he had with his former top diplomat in Washington.
“He’s essentially rolled the same pitch in relation to Matthew Doyle as he did with Peter Mandelson – that they weren’t clear with him.
“He appears to be the most gullible former Director of Public Prosecutions in history.”
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey told the Commons: “To appoint one paedophile supporter cannot be excused as ‘misfortune’.
“To appoint two shows a catastrophic lack of judgment.”
Sir Keir has also faced pressure to release documents relating to his ex-communications chief’s appointment to the Lords, with the Conservatives saying the possibility of using a parliamentary vote to compel their publication was “not off the table”.
No 10 again pointed to the ongoing party investigation when asked whether it could release the files.
In his apology, Lord Doyle apologised “unreservedly” for supporting Morton before the case against him had concluded.
The peer said he also had “extremely limited” contact with Morton after his conviction.
Labour had suspended Morton after he appeared in court in connection with indecent child images in late 2016.
Lord Doyle campaigned for Morton when he ran as an Independent in May 2017.
