#matthew-doyle

#matthew-doyle

Sir Keir Starmer nominated a former aide for a peerage despite being told he had been supportive of a councillor who had been accused of child sex offences, his ex-communications chief has claimed. The prime minister is facing continued questions over his judgment in appointing his former spin doctor, Matthew Doyle, to the House of Lords after he campaigned for a councillor who had been charged with having indecent images of children.

The friend claimed he was innocent at the time, but subsequently pleaded guilty. Yesterday Doyle issued a lengthy statement apologising. Given that Doyle's peerage was announced in December, and that he took his seat in early January after the details of his friendship with Sean Morton had been made public Labour's decision to remove the whip yesterday looks like a move timed to minimise the dangers from this issue being raised at PMQs.