No 10 tried to quietly set up Lord Doyle as an envoy – a transfer stored secret from the overseas secretary – the Mandelson vetting scandal has heard.
Cooper mentioned Doyle wouldn’t have been an ‘applicable’ choose (Picture: Getty)
International Secretary Yvette Cooper insisted a former Labour adviser with hyperlinks to a intercourse offender ought to by no means have been thought-about for an ambassadorial put up – despite the fact that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was the one apparently behind the job proposal. She issued a blunt response after it emerged Matthew Doyle, the previous head of communications in 10 Dowing Road, was lined up for a senior diplomatic function.
Sir Olly Robbins, the previous boss of the overseas workplace, instructed a Home of Commons committee that Downing Road wished handy Lord Doyle an opulent ambassadorial place. This was earlier than it emerged that Doyle had continued his affiliation with a person charged with possessing indecent photos of youngsters, even after prices have been introduced. Ms Cooper instructed MPs that Lord Doyle wouldn’t have been an “applicable” selection for the function. She instructed MPs that she was “extraordinarily involved” that the overseas workplace had withheld such data from the International Secretary on the time.
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The gorgeous revelation got here out of a committee assembly in Westminster at which the lately sacked Sir Olly was laying out his aspect of the Lord Peter Mandelson vetting scandal. Talking after the occasion the overseas secretary, Yvette
Sir Keir is dealing with mounting strain to resign after it emerged that Lord Mandelson had not handed his safety vetting earlier than taking over his political appointment as US Ambassador. The Prime Minister has claimed that he didn’t know concerning the failure, and proceeded to sack Sir Olly and lay the blame on the now-former Mandarin’s toes.
However immediately Sir Olly revealed that Downing Road had tried to line up Lord Doyle for an opulent ambassadorial put up. Talking earlier than a committee immediately Sir Olly mentioned that he had “felt fairly uncomfortable” concerning the suggestion, which he was requested to maintain from then-foreign secretary David Lammy, and had warned that it could be “arduous for me personally to defend”.
The previous everlasting secretary of the overseas workplace mentioned that the suggestion had come shortly after he took over main the International Workplace in January2025, at a time when high diplomats have been liable to shedding their jobs as a part of departmental restructuring discussions, he mentioned. He was talking to MPs on the International Affairs Committee. Sir Olly mentioned there have been “a number of discussions initiated by No 10 with me” about doubtlessly “discovering a head of mission alternative for Matthew Doyle”.
“I used to be underneath strict instruction to not focus on that with the then-foreign secretary, which was uncomfortable,” he revealed. The previous senior civil servant mentioned he was uncertain “who precisely was behind” the suggestion or “how critical it was”.
“I discovered it very arduous to suppose how I might clarify to the workplace what the credentials of Matthew have been to be in an essential head of mission function after I was in peril of constructing very senior, very skilled diplomats go away the workplace,” he mentioned.
Disgraced peer Lord Mandelson was additionally requested concerning the prospect of a task in Washington for Lord Doyle, Sir Olly prompt. “I feel subsequently, or perhaps concurrently, Mandelson was requested about whether or not there was a job that could possibly be made accessible within the US community,” he instructed MPs.
Robbins mentioned he was instructed to not focus on it with Lammy (Picture: PA)
“And so I feel the truth that No 10 was concerned with potential diplomatic choices for Doyle was in all probability a bit extra broadly identified than I realised on the time.”
Lord Doyle had the Labour whip withdrawn earlier this 12 months after it emerged he had campaigned on behalf of a good friend who had been charged with possessing indecent photos of youngsters. The peer apologised for backing then councillor Sean Morton earlier than the case towards him had concluded, saying he believed the paedophile’s assertions of innocence earlier than Morton later admitted the offending.
He had stepped down because the Prime Minister’s communications chief final March.
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