Newly Ennobled Labour Peer Campaigned For a Paedophile

Sir Keir Starmer nominated a former adviser for a peerage despite knowing he campaigned for a councillor who had been charged with child sex offences. The Times has more.

Matthew Doyle, who was the Downing Street Director of Communications until March, is due to take a seat in the Lords early next year. When he left No 10, the Prime Minister said it was a “privilege” to have worked with Doyle, who had been “by my side every day”.

It can now be revealed that No 10 nominated Doyle, 50, for a peerage after investigating his continued support for Sean Morton, a former Labour councillor in Moray, northeast Scotland, after the candidate was charged with possessing and distributing indecent images of children in December 2016.

Morton was immediately suspended by Labour after appearing in court.

He later admitted crimes including possession of several pictures of naked girls as young as 10.

Despite the charges, Doyle, a former spokesman for Sir Tony Blair, campaigned for Morton when he ran as an independent in May 2017, knocking on doors wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “Re-elect Sean Morton”.

Doyle accompanied Morton to the election count. The councillor for the Fochabers Lhanbryde ward came fifth and lost his seat.

Asked if he maintained contact with Morton after his conviction in December 2017, Doyle repeatedly declined to respond.

Downing Street was aware of the association and it was explicitly brought to the attention of Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff, and Jill Cuthbertson, McSweeney’s deputy. This led to an internal inquiry.

A No 10 spokeswoman 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 [to the Lords].”

It is understood that, after careful consideration, No 10 was satisfied that a past acquaintance did not represent a bar to Doyle receiving a peerage. Downing Street did not say who conducted the investigation.

Doyle said: “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.”

Pam Duncan-Glancy, another Labour official, resigned as shadow education secretary in the Scottish Parliament this month in light of her links with Morton. She apologised for her error of judgment and will not seek re-election as an MSP.

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