Starmer admits trying to find ambassador role for another disgraced ally

Sir Keir Starmer has admitted he tried to find a role in the diplomatic service for another ally with links to a different known sex offender.

At this afternoon’s session of Prime Minister’s Questions, the PM was asked to confirm a revelation from the Foreign Affairs committee hearing with Sir Olly Robbins on Tuesday.

The former top Foreign Office civil servant, who was sacked by Starmer last week, told the committee he had previously been asked to find a ‘head of mission’ role for the PM’s ex-communications chief Matthew Doyle.

Robbins said he had been asked by No 10 not to raise the idea with then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy, something he was ‘quite uncomfortable’ with.

The suggestion was later abandoned and Doyle was nominated for a life peerage by Starmer in December.

He took up his seat in the House of Lords in January, but just weeks later had the Labour whip suspended when it emerged he had backed Sean Morton, a former councillor who was convicted in 2018 of possessing indecent images of children, in a council campaign.

Yesterday, Lord Doyle said he had no knowledge that anyone in Downing Street had pushed to get him a role in the Foreign Office after he stepped down as Starmer’s head of communications in March 2025.

But the PM did not deny the discussions had taken place when asked about it in the Commons this afternoon.

Starmer said: ‘Matthew Doyle worked for many years in public service for me as prime minister and other ministers.

‘When people leave roles in any organisation, there are often conversations about other roles they want to apply for, but nothing came of this.’

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch addressed the backbenchers behind the Prime Minister during her questioning, saying: ‘I am amazed at the level of chuntering from Labour MPs.

‘He promised them probity, what he’s given them is cronyism and an old boys’ club where Matthew Doyle is being proposed as an ambassador.’

Much of today’s session revolved around the questions that emerged from Robbins’ appearance yesterday, which was centred on vetting issues in the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US.

Despite Robbins describing a ‘very strong expectation’ from No 10 that Mandelson would be approved, Starmer insisted today that ‘no pressure existed whatsoever in relation to this case’.

This afternoon, it was confirmed the PM’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney will appear in front of the Foreign Affairs Committee to address questions over Mandelson next week in a highly unusual move.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.