Keir Starmer gave peerage to former aide who campaigned for child sex offender
Sir Keir Starmer has nominated a former adviser for the peerage, despite having previously campaigned for a councilor accused of child sex offences.
Earlier this month, Downing Street announced the prime minister’s nomination of Matthew Doyle, who served as its 10th director of communications before resigning in March.
Downing Street admitted Mr Doyle’s links to Sean Morton were “fully investigated” before he was nominated, and several interviews were conducted with Mr Doyle himself.
No 10 is understood to be satisfied that a past acquaintance did not constitute an obstacle to Mr Doyle’s appointment to the Lords.
Morton, a Scottish Labor councilor for Fochabers and Lhanbryde, was charged with possessing and distributing indecent images of children in December 2016 and was later convicted in February 2018 of offenses including possessing several photographs of naked girls as young as ten.
Morton was suspended by Labor after his court appearance, but Mr Doyle reportedly campaigned on his behalf when he sought re-election as an independent councilor in May 2017.
The pictures he saw Sunday Times Mr. Doyle is wearing a T-shirt that says “Re-elect Sean Morton.” The newspaper also reported that he accompanied Morton to the election count.
Mr Doyle told the newspaper: “Sean Morton maintained his innocence at this time. I regret supporting him.”
“Sean Morton was someone I had known for a while through other mutual acquaintances. I haven’t seen him in years.”
Morton was given a community payback order which included 140 hours of unpaid work over nine months. He was also given a three-year supervision order and placed on the sex offenders register.
It comes just weeks after Scottish Labor MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy announced earlier this month that she would not seek re-election to Holyrood due to her links to Morton.
Mr Duncan-Glancy stepped down as the party’s education spokesman after admitting he made a “serious error of judgment” over his links to a sex offender.
He said: “While this is obviously a very difficult decision – and although it is the greatest honor of my life to represent Glasgow – I do not want to be distracted by a personal friendship.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve and am determined to return a Scottish Labor government next year.”
A Downing Street spokesman said: “Questions about Matthew Doyle’s past acquaintance with Sean Morton were investigated extensively, including various interviews with Matthew Doyle prior to his appointment.”
Matthew Doyle and Sean Morton have been contacted for comment.
