Starmer faces PMQs amid pressure over why ex-No 10 aide friendly with sex offender was given peerage – UK politics live | Politics
important events
Minister rejects suggestion Doyle’s appointment to the Lords shows No 10 does not take child abuse seriously
Georgia GouldAn education minister has been the government voice on the airwaves this morning.
In an interview with Sky News, No 10 said when he announced Matthew Doyle’s peerage in December he did not know he was campaigning for someone later convicted of pedophilia offences.
Referring to Labour’s decision to remove Doyle’s whip in the Lords yesterday, he said:
An investigation is ongoing. We will wait for this to conclude. But the prime minister said on Monday night that we want to ensure the highest standards in public life. He turned back and looked at this appointment. He took action to withdraw the whip.
When asked whether the government was taking child abuse seriously enough, he replied:
We take this incredibly seriously.
And Keir Starmer is someone who has spent his entire career putting people in prison and that’s his life’s work. This is very important to him. And no one is as harsh on himself as the prime minister. But he is clear that some things need to change. The review needs to be better.
When asked if documents submitted as part of the arbitration process would be released, Doyle said “we’ll have more to say once that’s completed,” referring to the ongoing investigation.
Starmer faces PMQs amid pressure over why former No 10 aide friendly with sex offenders was given peerage
Good morning. At PMQs last week Keir Starmer had to face questions about a pedophile friend of a Labor colleague. Today he looks likely to face questions about another of his peers in this category.
Like Peter Walker Yesterday, Labor said it had removed the whip from Matthew Doyle, who previously served as Starmer’s communications director and recently became a member of the Labor Party, according to reports.
Doyle had campaigned for a friend accused of possessing indecent images of children. His friend claimed his innocence at the time but later pleaded guilty. Yesterday Doyle released a lengthy statement apologizing.
Given Doyle’s rank was announced in December and he took his seat in early January after details of his friendship with Sean Morton became public, Labor’s decision to scrap the whip yesterday appears to be a timed move to minimize the dangers of raising the issue at PMQs.
But Starmer still faces questions over why Doyle was allowed to take his seat in the Lords. Inside a post on social media last night, Kemi Badenoch He said he would not let the matter go.
Keir Starmer granted peerage to Matthew Doyle despite knowing of his ongoing friendship with a man accused of child sex crimes.
The Prime Minister has now suspended the whip, but must clearly state what he was told before making this appointment.
We will not let this go.
Last night Anna TurleyThe Labor leader said he never thought Doyle should be in the Lords. He said it was his “personal opinion”. But Starmer will likely be asked whether he agrees.
Here is the agenda of the day.
9am: Liberal Democrat deputy leader and Treasury spokeswoman Daisy Cooper has held a press conference where she will make a “major Treasury announcement”.
9.45: Treasury secretary Dan Tomlinson presents evidence on business rates to the House of Commons Treasury committee.
Afternoon: Keir Starmer faces Kemi Badenoch at PMQs.
13:00: Starmer is speaking to the women’s PLP (parliamentary Labor Party).
13.30: Energy secretary Ed Miliband gives evidence to the House of Commons energy committee.
And today, education secretary Bridget Phillipson is publishing an education spaces plan that includes more places for classrooms for children with special educational needs.
If you would like to contact me, please send a message below the line or send a message on social media during comments open hours (between 10:00 – 15:00). I can’t read all messages BTL, but if you type “Andrew” in a message addressed to me, I’m more likely to see it because I’m looking for posts containing that word.
If you want to flag something urgently, it’s best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has stopped posting from their official account on
I find it very helpful for readers to point out errors, even minor typos. No mistake is too small to be corrected. I also find your questions very interesting. I can’t promise to respond to them all, but I will try to respond as much as I can, either on BTL or sometimes on the blog.
.jpeg?trim=0,186,0,185&width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800&w=390&resize=390,220&ssl=1 "How long will the third heatwave of the summer last and how hot will it get?")
