Labour Deputy Leader Condemns Lord Doyle's Peerage Appointment
Labour's deputy leader, Lucy Powell, has unequivocally stated that she would not have ennobled Lord Matthew Doyle, Sir Keir Starmer's former communications chief, given the knowledge of his associations with a paedophile councillor. In a candid interview, Powell emphasised that such appointments, when followed by revelations of unacceptable conduct, tarnish the entire political system and implicate everyone involved.
Peerage Controversy and Political Fallout
The controversy centres on Lord Doyle's peerage, awarded despite his campaign support for Sean Morton, a Moray councillor charged with possessing indecent images of children in 2016. Lord Doyle, who has since had the Labour whip removed, apologised and claimed he believed Morton's assertions of innocence before the latter admitted guilt. However, Sir Keir Starmer has acknowledged that Doyle did not provide a full account of his association with Morton during the vetting process for the House of Lords.
During a phone-in on LBC, Powell was directly asked if she would have ennobled Lord Doyle knowing what was known about his ties to Morton. She replied, "Well, clearly not," and elaborated on the broader implications. "Anything like this where people are given patronage, peerages, or other honours that are then found to have behaved completely unacceptably and inappropriately stains the whole system and stains everybody else as well," she asserted.
Internal Investigation and Calls for Action
Powell confirmed that a thorough internal Labour Party investigation is underway, promising that sanctions will follow. "Believe me, further sanctions will follow," she insisted, echoing concerns from senior party figures like Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and party chairwoman Anna Turley, who argue Lord Doyle should not remain in the Lords. Despite this, Downing Street has declined to commit to stripping the peerage, citing the risk of prejudicing the ongoing probe and a lack of precedent for withdrawing peerages after announcement.
Opposition parties have seized on the issue, accusing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of a "catastrophic lack of judgment." During Prime Minister's Questions, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch highlighted that The Sunday Times reported on Doyle's post-charge association with Morton in December, yet he still took his seat in January. Badenoch criticised Starmer for proceeding with the appointment despite this knowledge, while SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn likened the situation to the earlier scandal involving Lord Peter Mandelson, suggesting a pattern of gullibility.
Broader Context and Systemic Issues
The row adds to a turbulent period for Sir Keir's premiership, marked by departures from Downing Street and calls for his resignation from Scottish Labour. It also intersects with ongoing efforts to reform peerage vetting and appointment processes, as the government moves to legislate stripping Lord Mandelson of his peerage due to his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey condemned the appointments, stating that one instance might be misfortune, but two indicate a severe lapse in judgment.
In his apology, Lord Doyle expressed regret for supporting Morton before the case concluded and maintained limited contact post-conviction. Labour had suspended Morton after his court appearance in late 2016, yet Doyle campaigned for him as an Independent in May 2017. The incident underscores persistent questions about transparency and accountability in political appointments, with Conservatives considering parliamentary votes to compel the release of related documents.
