Labour Suspends Peer And Former Starmer Spin Doctor Over Links To Paedophile

Labour have suspended a peer and former chief spin doctor to Keir Starmer over his links to a sex offender.

Matthew Doyle, who was made a Lord by the prime minister last month, campaigned for Sean Morton after he was charged with having indecent images of children.

Six months later, Morton, a former Labour councillor, admitted the charges.

The Sunday Times reported that senior No.10 officials were aware of Doyle’s links to Morton before he was nominated by the PM for a life peerage last December.

He was ennobled as Baron Doyle of Great Barford in January.

It is understood that Labour has suspended Doyle – who was No.10 director of communications until March last year – from the party whip in the Lords but not his party membership.

In a statement, Doyle said: “I want to apologise for my past association with Sean Morton. 

“His offences were vile and I completely condemn the actions for which he was rightly convicted. My thoughts are with the victims and all those impacted by these crimes.

“At the point of my campaigning support, Morton repeatedly asserted to all those who knew him his innocence, including initially in court. He later changed his plea in court to guilty.

“To have not ceased support ahead of a judicial conclusion was a clear error of judgment for which I apologise unreservedly.

“Those of us who took him at his word were clearly mistaken. I have never sought to dismiss or diminish the seriousness of the offences for which he was rightly convicted. They are clearly abhorrent and I have never questioned his conviction.”

Doyle admitted he maintained contact with Morton after his conviction but insisted it had been “extremely limited and I have not seen or spoken to him in years”.

He added: “Twice I was at events organised by other people, which he attended, and once I saw him to check on his welfare after concerns were raised through others. 

“I acted to try to ensure the welfare of a troubled individual whilst fully condemning the crimes for which he has been convicted and being clear that my thoughts are with the victims of his crimes. I am sorry about the mistakes I have made.”

Posting on X, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Keir Starmer handed a peerage to Matthew Doyle despite knowing about his ongoing friendship with a man charged with child sex crimes.

“The prime minister has now suspended the whip, but he must come clean about what he was told before making this appointment. We won’t let this go.”

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “All complaints are assessed thoroughly in line with our rules and procedures.”

The row will raise further questions about Starmer’s judgment following his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson the UK’s ambassador to Washington despite knowing about his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The disgraced peer now faces a criminal investigation into allegations he leaked sensitive government information to the billionaire financierwhen he was business secretary in the wake of the global financial crash.