Suspended ex-spin doctor piles more pressure on PM

Starmer struggling to escape fallout from Mandelson scandal

- DAVID MADDOX, KATE DEVLIN

Sir Keir Starmer's fightback against an attempted Labour leadership coup has been overshadowed by a fresh scandal involving one of his closest former aides.

Labour announced last night that it had suspended Sir Keir's former communications chief Matthew Doyle, whom the prime minister elevated to the House of Lords in December, over his links to a convicted paedophile, former councillor Sean Morton.

The latest development will raise fresh questions over Sir Keir's integrity and judgement, with echoes of the Peter Mandelson scandal, which has already cost him his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and brought his premiership to the brink of collapse.

Lord Mandelson was made ambassador to the US - the UK's most important diplomatic role - despite the prime minister knowing he had continued his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein following the latter's conviction in 2008 for soliciting underage sex. Now, Lord Doyle, who retains his peerage despite being stripped of the party whip, has revealed that he kept in contact with Morton even after the former councillor was convicted.

In a statement, Lord Doyle said that any contact “was extremely limited and I have not seen or spoken to him in years”. He said: “I acted to try to ensure the welfare of a troubled individual whilst fully condemning the crimes for which he has been convicted, and being clear that my thoughts are with the victims of his crimes. I am sorry about the mistakes I have made. I will not be taking the Labour whip.