Keir Starmer 'tried to make aide who campaigned for Scots paedophile an ambassador'

Sir Olly Robbins, the Foreign Office’s former lead civil servant, told a House of Commons committee on Tuesday that he had several conversations in March 2025 with Downing Street about finding a role for former head of communications Matthew Doyle.

Sir Olly, who was sacked by the Prime Minister last week over the failure to disclose Peter Mandelson’s failed security checks, said he was told not to tell then foreign secretary David Lammy about finding Mr Doyle a job.

Former Downing Street head of communications Mr 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.

He left No10 in spring 2025 and was given a seat in the House of Lords. But he had the Labour whip suspended earlier this year after it emerged he had campaigned for Mr Morton in 2016.

Sir Olly said: “There were several discussions initiated by No 10 with me about potentially finding a head of mission opportunity for Matthew Doyle, who was then the prime minister’s director of communications.

“I was under strict instruction not to discuss that with the then foreign secretary.”

He added: “It was, to be honest, hard to find something that I thought might be suitable. But I also felt quite uncomfortable about it and I kept giving advice that I thought this would be very hard for the Foreign Office, and hard for me personally, to defend.”

He said it was part of “a creep of senior diplomatic roles going to non-career diplomats”.

He added: “It was difficult for me, personally, honestly, as a leader, to explain why very talented and experienced diplomats were having to leave the organisation, and people who would be widely considered to have rather fewer credentials would be input in these important jobs.”

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Lord Doyle said he had “never sought” any ambassadorial role, adding: “I was never aware of anyone speaking to the FCDO about such a role for me.”

Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy was sacked from the frontbench, had the whip suspended and was removed as a candidate after it emerged she had continued her friendship with Mr Morton after his conviction.

Sir Olly told the Foreign Affairs Committee that No10 had a “dismissive approach” towards Lord Mandelson’s vetting ahead of him becoming US ambassador.

He told MPs that there was a “very, very strong expectation” from No 10 that Lord Mandelson “needed to be in post and in America as quickly as humanly possible”.

The former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office said that when he took on that role in January 2025, the Developed Vetting (DV) process was already under way.

“Due diligence (which assesses reputational suitability and checks if a candidate is fit to serve) had been completed by the Cabinet Office,” he said.

“Mandelson was being granted access to highly-classified briefing on a case-by-case basis.”

He said this “resulted in a dismissive approach to DV” from Number 10.

“Nonetheless, despite this atmosphere of pressure, the department completed DV to the normal high standard,” he said.

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Lord Mandelson was granted developed vetting (DV) status despite the concerns raised by UK Security Vetting, the expert agency which carries out checks.

Sir Olly said he had not seen the UKSV document relating to Lord Mandelson, but was briefed on its finding by the Foreign Office’s security chief.

He told MPs he was briefed that UKSV considered Lord Mandelson a “borderline” case, “leaning towards recommending that clearance be denied”.

The risks in his case did not relate to the peer’s links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, Sir Olly said.

The Foreign Office’s security chief assessed that the risks could be “managed and mitigated”.

In a letter to the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee ahead of his appearance on Tuesday, Sir Olly said: “DV clearance is a risk judgment. This is especially true the more senior a candidate is and the longer their career.

“Managing these risks as part of the clearance process is not unusual.”

He said he therefore agreed with the Foreign Office’s estates security and network directorate (ESND) approach, and clearance was granted.

That meant that when Sir Keir told MPs the “proper process had been followed… he was correct”.