Sir Keir Starmer has admitted his former spin doctor was considered for a plum role as an ambassador despite having no experience for the role.
The prime minister is now facing calls for an inquiry into Number 10's lobbying for the diplomatic job to “make sure nothing like it can ever happen again”.
In a bombshell revelation as he gave evidence over the Peter Mandelson scandal on Tuesday, sacked Foreign Office chief Olly Robbins said No 10 had pushed for a diplomatic role for Matthew Doyle, the prime minister’s former communications chief, but urged Sir Olly to hide the request from then-foreign secretary David Lammy.
Sir Olly said the approach made him feel “quite uncomfortable”. Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper she was “extremely concerned” about the claims and said Lord Doyle would not have been an “appropriate” choice for such a role.
Quizzed over the claims during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir said: “When people leave roles in any organisation, there are often conversations about other roles they want to apply for, but nothing came of this.”
Although Lord Doyle was not given the diplomat job, he was subsequently elevated to the House of Lords. But he was stripped of the Labour whip just weeks later over his links with a convicted paedophile.
Opposition critics accused the PM of cronyism over the alleged lobbying, which Sir Olly said he was unsure “who was behind” or “how serious it was.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch told the Commons: “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. It’s ridiculous.”
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey said it was “completely shocking”.
“On top of his catastrophic lack of judgement, Keir Starmer’s failure to answer simple questions about his own role just isn’t good enough. The public deserves the truth, so we can move on from this scandal and make sure nothing like it can ever happen again. The government needs to launch an inquiry by the cabinet secretary to find out who was doing this lobbying, why, and whether the prime minister knew about it or not.”
Sir Olly told members of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday that finding such a role for Lord Doyle would be “very hard” for the government to defend. At the time that, the Foreign Office was sacking senior diplomats, including ambassadors, as part of a potential restructure.
He also told how he “was under strict instruction not to discuss that with the then foreign secretary [David Lammy], which was uncomfortable”.
Lord Mandelson was also asked about the prospect of a role in Washington for Lord Doyle, Sir Olly suggested.
No 10 refused to say whether Sir Keir had apologised to Mr Lammy over the claims.
Also during PMQs, Sir Keir also claimed Sir Olly’s appearance before MPs “puts to bed all the allegations” levelled at him over the appointment process for Lord Mandelson as US ambassador.
Under questioning from Ms Badenoch, he also insisted he would not resign.
Sir Olly was sacked by the PM last week after it emerged he did not tell Sir Keir that Lord Mandelson had been cleared to take the top diplomatic post despite security vetting officials recommending against it.
On Tuesday, Sir Olly told MPs he was only told that Mandelson’s case was “borderline”, adding that there had been a "dismissive approach" on vetting from No 10 and an "atmosphere of pressure" to get Lord Mandelson to Washington as soon as possible.
Sir Keir said at PMQs: “Yesterday, [Sir Olly] was asked if he shared that decision with me, No 10 or any other ministers. He gave a clear answer: no. That puts to bed all the allegations levelled at me by those opposite in relation to dishonesty.
“Last week, they were all saying that it must have been shared with me. Sir Olly was very clear yesterday it was not.”
But the Tory leader hit back: “I cannot accuse the prime minister of deliberately misleading the House, but everyone can see what has happened here.
“This was not due process… Will the prime minister finally take responsibility and go?”
In February, Labour announced that it had suspended Lord Doyle after it emerged that he had helped to campaign for his friend, convicted paedophile and former councillor Sean Morton.
The scandal emerged just months after Lord Mandelson was sacked as ambassador to the US because of further revelations about his long-term friendship with the convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Lord Doyle, who worked for Sir Keir in opposition and entered Downing Street with him in 2024, campaigned for Morton when the latter ran as an independent in May 2017 – four months after Morton had appeared in court charged with possessing indecent images of children. Morton later admitted the offence.
Lord Doyle has since apologised for backing Morton before the case against him had concluded, saying he believed his assertions of innocence at the time.
In a statement on Tuesday, Lord Doyle said he had never sought such a position and was not aware of anyone having spoken to the Foreign Office about finding a role for him.
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