Keir Starmer gave peerage to aide who campaigned for Scots sex offender

Former Downing Street head of communications Matthew Doyle campaigned for Sean Morton after he was charged with possessing indecent images of girls under 15 and of a couple having sex with a dog, The Sunday Times reported.

Former councillor Mr Morton was suspended by Labour after appearing in court and pled guilty in 2017.

Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy resigned from the Holyrood frontbench earlier this month and then announced she would not be seeking re-election next year because she had maintained her relationship with Mr Morton.

Mr Doyle stood down from No10 in March and is due to take up a seat in the Lords next year.

The Sunday Times revealed that No10 investigated the 50-year-old for his support of former Moray councillor Mr Morton after he was charged in December 2016.

Mr Doyle campaigned for Mr Morton when he ran as an independent in 2017 and was photographed wearing a t-shirt which said “Re-elect Sean Morton”.

Mr Doyle was also at the election count with Mr Morton, where he lost his Fochabers Lhanbryde seatand came fifth.

Mr Doyle repeatedly refused to respond to questions over whether he had been in touch with Mr Morton after his conviction in December 2017.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: “Questions regarding Matthew Doyle’s past acquaintance with Sean Morton were thoroughly investigated, including through several interviews with Matthew Doyle, prior to his appointment [to the Lords].”

Doyle said: “Sean Morton was maintaining his innocence at this time. I regret supporting him. Sean Morton was someone I knew for a period through other shared acquaintances. I have not seen him for years.”

Scottish Labour general secretary Kate Watson reportedly raised the issue with Downing St Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney at Scottish Labour’s fundraising gala on December 4.

Glasgow MSP Ms Duncan-Glancy quit her role as education spokesperson earlier this month after the Daily Record approached Scottish Labour about her links to Mr Morton.

Ms Duncan-Glancy admitted a “serious error of personal judgement” when she resigned from her frontbench role - but only announced she was standing down from Holyrood later in the month.

Mr Morton was made to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work, was given a three-year supervision order and placed on the sex offenders register for three years after pleading guilty.

He was a life-long friend of Ms Duncan-Glancy, who was elected as an MSP for Glasgow in 2021 and had served in frontbench roles since.

It was reported that Ms Duncan-Glancy had stayed in touch with Mr Morton.

The pair had dinner to celebrate the MSP’s birthday and were believed to be in frequent contact, despite Mr Morton being a convicted sex offender.