This is Keir Starmer’s worst week in politics – and it is still only Tuesday. The constant flailings of the embattled Labour PM never cease to shock, amuse and entertain. But having successfully quelled the immediate revolt against his premiership, Starmer has, once again, pulled defeat from the jaws of victory. For tonight the main story is about another of his onetime advisers: this time, Matthew Doyle, whom the PM ennobled/kicked upstairs only last month. The Liz Truss of Labour peers…
Doyle has had the Labour whip pulled because of his links to a convicted sex offender. The ex-apparatchik, who served as Starmer’s Director of Communications from 2021 to 2025, went campaigning for Sean Morton, an ex-Labour councillor in Moray, Scotland, after the candidate was charged with possessing indecent images of children in December 2016. Morton later admitted sex offences. In a statement, Doyle has now apologised for his past association with Morton and admitted ‘extremely limited’ contact with him after his conviction. He said:
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… Following his conviction any contact was extremely limited and I have not seen or spoken to him in years. 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.
First Mandy, now this. Any more for any more?
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