Sir Keir Starmer nominated a former senior aide for a seat in the House of Lords despite the individual's past campaign of support for a convicted child sex offender, it has emerged.
Peerage Follows Campaign for Convicted Offender
Matthew Doyle, who served as Sir Keir Starmer's director of communications in Number 10, was put forward for a peerage by the Prime Minister. This occurred even though Mr Doyle had previously campaigned for Sean Morton, a former Scottish Labour councillor.
Morton was convicted in 2018 for possessing and distributing indecent images of children. At the time of Mr Doyle's support, Morton was publicly maintaining his innocence.
Downing Street's Investigation and Regret Expressed
A spokesperson for Downing Street confirmed that Mr Doyle's historical links to Morton were subject to a 'thorough investigation' before his nomination to the Lords was approved. The vetting process reportedly examined the circumstances in detail.
Following the revelation, Matthew Doyle has expressed regret for his past support. He stated that his actions were based on Morton's claims of innocence at the time, a position he now deeply regrets given the subsequent conviction.
Wider Fallout for Scottish Labour
This controversy arrives in the wake of another related incident within Scottish Labour. MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy recently announced she would not seek re-election, citing her own past links to Sean Morton as a 'serious error of judgement'.
The parallel cases have raised questions about associations within the party's ranks and the scrutiny applied to individuals nominated for high honours and positions. The situation continues to develop as further reactions from Westminster and the Labour Party are awaited.
