Lord Doyle refuses Labour whip over convicted councillor row
Sir Keir Starmer’s former communications director, Lord Matthew Doyle, has announced he will not take the Labour whip in the House of Lords after facing backlash for his past association with a councillor convicted of possessing indecent images of children.
Doyle campaigned for Sean Morton, an Independent candidate convicted in 2017 for child abuse offences. He admitted failing to cut ties with Morton before his conviction and called it a “clear error of judgment” he “unreservedly” regrets.
Apology over ‘vile’ crimes and mistaken trust
“I want to apologise for my past association with Sean Morton. His offences were vile and I completely condemn the actions for which he was rightly convicted. My thoughts are with the victims and all those impacted by these crimes,” Doyle said.
He explained Morton had initially insisted on his innocence—even in court—before pleading guilty, leading Doyle and others to wrongly trust him. Doyle emphasised he never dismissed the seriousness of Morton’s crimes and has never questioned the conviction.
Minimal contact but distancing from Labour
Doyle revealed contact with Morton post-conviction was “extremely limited,” with only a couple of encounters at third-party events and a welfare check. Despite this, Doyle’s announcement that he will sit as a crossbench peer means he won’t align with Labour in the Lords, distancing himself from Starmer’s party amid the controversy.
The saga piles pressure on the Prime Minister, already battling turmoil from the Mandelson-Epstein scandal and key resignations. Doyle’s move signals that fallout from past associations continues to rock the top echelons of UK politics.
What this means for the future
- Lord Doyle will sit independently in the House of Lords as a crossbencher
- The controversy highlights risks for politicians linked to convicted offenders
- Starmer’s leadership faces fresh scrutiny amid mounting scandals
Doyle’s statement aimed to draw a line under the affair, admitting mistakes but condemning Morton’s “vile” crimes and standing firmly by the victims. Expect questions to linger as UK politics braces for more upheaval.
