Tories demand solutions from Keir Starmer over peerage for ex-Labour spin chief with hyperlinks to convicted paedophile
Kemi Badenoch is demanding answers from Sir Keir Starmer over the handing of a peerage to Labour‘s ex-spin chief with links to a convicted paedophile.
Matthew Doyle, the Prime Minister’s former communications director, took his seat in the House of Lords in January after quitting Downing Street in March last year.
But his nomination to Parliament’s upper chamber was opposed because of his ties to ex-Labour councillor Sean Morton, who admitted having indecent images of children in November 2017.
It has been revealed how Mr Doyle campaigned for Morton when he ran as an independent in May 2017, after he had been charged with child sex offences.
Labour had suspended Morton after he appeared in court in connection with indecent child images in late 2016.
Mr Doyle has said Morton was maintaining his innocence at the time he backed his campaign, and that he regrets supporting him.
Mrs Badenoch, the Tory leader, has written to Sir Keir calling on him to publish ‘vetting advice and due diligence’ received ahead of Mr Doyle being handed a peerage, as well as any documents covering his association with Morton.
It comes as the PM reels from the scandal over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the US, despite his ties to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Matthew Doyle, the Prime Minister’s former communications director, took his seat in the House of Lords in January after quitting Downing Streetin March last year
It comes as the PM reels from the scandal over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the US, despite his ties to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein
Mrs Badenoch claimed that there was a ‘pattern of behaviour’ of Sir Keir’s office overlooking vetting for men who have ‘associations with men who have a history of abusing children’.
She said she would use ‘parliamentary means to get to the truth’ if the PM refused to be transparent about his decision to put Mr Doyle in the Lords.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: ‘Questions regarding Matthew Doyle’s past acquaintance with Sean Morton were thoroughly investigated, including through several interviews with Matthew Doyle, prior to his appointment.’
It is understood that No10 was satisfied after its consideration that a past acquaintance did not represent a bar to Mr Doyle’s appointment.
Mr Doyle repeated a previous statement on the matter, saying: ‘Sean Morton was maintaining his innocence at this time.
‘I regret supporting him. Sean Morton was someone I knew for a period through other shared acquaintances. I have not seen him for years.’
