Badenoch Launches Scathing Attack on Starmer Over Paedophile Apologist Claims
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of "stuffing Government with hypocrites and paedophile apologists" by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch during a heated Prime Minister's Questions session. The allegations come amid simmering discontent following the fallout from the Peter Mandelson scandal, with Sir Keir facing significant pressure to resign from his position.
Pressure Mounts on Labour Leadership
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has emerged as the most prominent Labour member to publicly call for Sir Keir's resignation, citing concerns that the "distraction" from Downing Street could harm the party's chances in upcoming elections. However, the lack of support for Mr Sarwar's position from Westminster ministers suggests the immediate danger to Sir Keir's leadership may have passed, though his authority continues to appear fragile.
Despite the political turmoil, Sir Keir has pledged to lead the Labour Party into the next general election and insists his top team remains "strong and united" after Cabinet ministers rallied around him with public messages of support. At Tuesday's political Cabinet meeting, he emphasized that his Government should be "acting together" over the release of files concerning Peter Mandelson.
Specific Allegations Surface
During the parliamentary session, Mrs Badenoch claimed Sir Keir's decision regarding Lord Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador was not an "isolated" incident. She specifically questioned why former head of communications Matthew Doyle received a peerage despite his ties to a paedophile councillor.
"The Mandelson episode was not an isolated incident," Mrs Badenoch stated. "A few weeks ago he announced a peerage for one Matthew Doyle, his former director of communications. Immediately after that, the Sunday Times published on the front page that Doyle campaigned for a man charged with child sex offences, yet despite the Prime Minister knowing this, he gave Doyle a job for life in the House of Lords anyway."
Starmer's Response and Actions
In his response, Sir Keir revealed that Matthew Doyle "did not give a full account of his actions" and announced that he had removed the Labour whip from Lord Doyle. The Prime Minister emphasized his commitment to change, stating: "I promised my party and my country there will be change, and yesterday I removed the whip from Matthew Doyle."
Lord Doyle has since apologized for campaigning for Sean Morton in 2017 after Morton had been charged over indecent images of children. However, calls for him to lose his peerage altogether continue, including from Labour Party chair Anna Turley.
Cross-Party Criticism Intensifies
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey joined the criticism, stating: "To appoint one paedophile supporter cannot be excused as 'misfortune'. To appoint two shows a catastrophic lack of judgment." SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn added that Sir Keir "appears to be the most gullible former director of public prosecutions in history."
Mrs Badenoch further accused the Prime Minister of only pretending to care about violence against women to "save his own skin," citing examples including grooming gangs, the Mandelson case, and now the Doyle appointment. "Isn't that what a former prosecutor would call an established pattern of behaviour?" she questioned.
Defensive Counterarguments
Sir Keir responded that he would take "no lectures from the Tories" on standards in public life, pointing to partygate and former shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick's comments "about not seeing enough white faces in Birmingham." Mrs Badenoch hit back forcefully: "How dare he criticise us. We weren't the ones stuffing Government with hypocrites and paedophile apologists. He can't build a team, he has no plan, he can't even run his own office let alone the country."
The Prime Minister concluded by stating his legacy would be "changing my party and winning a general election," as he attempts to navigate through one of the most challenging periods of his premiership.
Broader Support and Internal Changes
Despite the criticism, Sir Keir has received expressions of support from key Labour figures. Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan insisted Sir Keir had her "full confidence," while Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, seen as a potential challenger for the Labour leadership, declared his support but noted he had spoken to Sir Keir about the party needing a "strong sense of a stronger team again."
Sir Keir is expected to continue efforts to shake up his No 10 operation, with speculation that the country's top civil servant Sir Chris Wormald could be replaced by Antonia Romeo, currently top civil servant at the Home Office. Sir Keir's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and communications chief Tim Allan have already departed as the Prime Minister seeks to revive his fortunes after a bruising start to 2026.
