Keir Starmer’s judgement under fresh scrutiny as another Labour peer he appointed is suspended
Keir Starmer’s decision has come under renewed scrutiny after serious questions were raised about the suitability of two more Labor members he recently appointed to the House of Lords.
New nobleman Lord Joe Docherty of Milngavie, nominated by the Prime Minister, was suspended from his position in the party on Saturday pending the completion of an investigation into alleged inappropriate behavior at a sixth-form college.
Another of the prime ministerial candidates, education expert Baroness Limb, announced she would not take her seat in the Lords following the revelations in 2017. Sunday Times That he lied about having a PhD.
This brings to three the number of appointments Starmer has made to the Lords, who have faced serious questions after former communications director Lord Matthew Doyle was suspended after details emerged about his close links to a pedophile.
The latest developments could not come at a worse time for a prime minister struggling to remain in Downing Street following the disastrous Gorton and Denton by-election result, which saw Labor come third in the seventh safest seat after the Greens and Reform UK.
These have echoes of Sir Keir’s appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador and the failure to properly vet those elevated to key roles under his watch. Mandelson was dramatically impeached last year and later resigned from the House of Lords and the Labor Party over his links to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He was arrested last week over allegations that he leaked sensitive documents to Epstein while he was commerce secretary.
Sunday Times It has been reported that Lord Docherty, 57, resigned as CEO of NCG (formerly Newcastle College Group) in October 2018 following allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
During the Ofsted inspection, it was alleged that Docherty exchanged more than 50 sexual messages on the same day and met partners for sexual encounters at hotels paid for by NCG during working hours.
Doherty said in a message: “My work has arranged a conference call for 10.30am tomorrow morning but I have offered my apologies so we can meet.”
Labor said on Saturday: “[We expect] We receive the highest standards from our members. “All complaints are evaluated meticulously in accordance with our rules and procedures.”
Docherty said: “As a member of the House of Lords or a senior executive, I fully accept that accountability is paramount and would welcome legitimate scrutiny. However, I also have a right to privacy. The apparent leak of a version of a confidential internal HR report and Sunday Times It is a shame to trust such a document.
“The allegations were seriously challenged at the time and would have been strongly challenged if the matter had proceeded to a disciplinary hearing, but this was not done.”
Already this weekend, questions were being asked by Labor MPs and opposition parties about why Sir Keir did not sack Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons, who was accused of waging a smear campaign against journalists in his former job as director of the controversial Labor Together think tank.
Mr Simons resigned on Saturday after an investigation by ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus cleared him of allegations that he had breached ministerial rules.
But Sir Keir was criticized weeks ago for not sacking the former minister.
Labor Party MP Clive Lewis told Independent: “A prime minister serious about standards wouldn’t wait for an ethics adviser to point out the obvious. Sir Laurie Magnus has now drawn a conclusion that many could have seen all along: a minister tried to undermine and denigrate journalists from doing their jobs. Asking questions. Holding power to account.”
“Instead of acting decisively, the Prime Minister chose to wait. He chose process over principle. And in doing so, he projected weakness where clarity was needed.”
Since the furor over Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to the US, questions about the decision have dogged the prime minister.
But other appointments also raised questions, including Tulip Siddiq’s appointment as anti-corruption minister and her having to resign due to allegations of corruption in Bangladesh; denies the allegations.
Rushanara appointed Ali as minister responsible for homelessness, but Rushanara was forced to resign because he evicted tenants from one of his properties so he could raise the rent.
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, who was responsible for housing, also had to resign because she could not pay stamp duty.
While many Labor MPs have set a deadline for local and devolved elections on May 7 to decide the prime minister’s future, his rivals are circling around to replace him.
