Stephen Flynn MP has called for Keir Starmer’s appointment of Labour Party Lord Matthew Doyle to be blocked if the Prime Minister doesn’t immediately do “the right thing” and withdraw the appointment.
In a letter to the House of Lords Appointments Commission today, the SNP Westminster Leader said Keir Starmer must withdraw the peerage for his former Director of Communications and, if he fails,the Commission should step in to block the appointment to avoid bringing the House of Lords further into disrepute.
It comes after Doyle became the second senior Labour Party figure to become embroiled in the scandal over links to a former Scottish Labour Party councillor and convicted sex offender Sean Morton.
Earlier this month, Scottish Labour Party Education and Skills spokesperson Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP resigned her frontbench role and announced she would not restand at next May’s Scottish election after admitting links to Mr Morton.
The SNP previously called for Keir Starmer to remove the Labour Party whip from Lord Peter Mandelson over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein but the Prime Minister chose to stand by Lord Mandelson and retain the Labour Party whip.
In his letter today, SNP Westminster Leader Stephen Flynn MP writes:
“Dear House of Lords Appointments Commission,
“I am writing to urge you to block the appointment of Keir Starmer’s former Director of Communications Matthew Doyle to the House of Lords.
“You will have seen reports in The Times newspaper that Mr Doyle has admitted links to convicted sex offender and former Scottish Labour Party councillor Sean Morton.
“Earlier this month, Scottish Labour Party Education spokesperson Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP was forced to resign her position and announce she would not restand for election over her links to Mr Morton.
“Keir Starmer must immediately do the right thing and withdraw the peerage for Mr Doyle – that is his responsibility. Yet, if he fails to do so, I urge the Committee to block the appointment to prevent the House of Lords falling further into disrepute.
“The fact that Keir Starmer chose to protect Lord Peter Mandelson and retain the Labour Party whip, despite his links to convicted sex offender and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, suggests it is unlikely the Prime Minister will do the right thing now.
“Serious questions remain over what Keir Starmer and Scottish Labour Party leader Anas Sarwar knew about the links of their senior spokespersons to this convicted sex offender.
“Regardless, it would be a damning indictment of the House of Lords if it were to appoint yet another Labour Party peer with established links to sex offenders.
“Yours sincerely,
“Stephen Flynn MP
SNP Westminster Leader”
