Yvette Cooper slams No 10 plan handy job to buddy of intercourse offender | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper insisted a former Labour adviser with hyperlinks to a intercourse offender ought to by no means have been thought of for an ambassadorial publish – regardless 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 Street, was lined up for a senior diplomatic function.

Sir Olly Robbins, the previous boss of the overseas workplace, advised a House of Commons committee that Downing Street 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 pictures of youngsters, even after fees had been introduced. Ms Cooper advised MPs that Lord Doyle wouldn’t have been an “appropriate” alternative for the function. She advised MPs that she was “extremely concerned” that the overseas workplace had withheld such data from the Foreign Secretary on the time.

The beautiful revelation got here out of a committee assembly in Westminster at which the not too long ago sacked Sir Olly was laying out his aspect of the Lord Peter Mandelson vetting scandal. Speaking 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 in regards to the failure, and proceeded to sack Sir Olly and lay the blame on the now-former Mandarin’s ft.

But right this moment Sir Olly revealed that Downing Street had tried to line up Lord Doyle for an opulent ambassadorial publish. Speaking earlier than a committee right this moment Sir Olly stated that he had “felt quite uncomfortable” in regards to the suggestion, which he was requested to maintain from then-foreign secretary David Lammy, and had warned that it could be “hard for me personally to defend”.

The former everlasting secretary of the overseas workplace stated that the suggestion had come shortly after he took over main the Foreign Office in January2025, at a time when high diplomats had been susceptible to dropping their jobs as a part of departmental restructuring discussions, he stated. He was chatting with MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Sir Olly stated there have been “several discussions initiated by No 10 with me” about probably “finding a head of mission opportunity for Matthew Doyle”.

“I was under strict instruction not to discuss that with the then-foreign secretary, which was uncomfortable,” he revealed. The former senior civil servant stated he was not sure “who exactly was behind” the suggestion or “how serious it was”.

“I found it very hard to think how I would explain to the office what the credentials of Matthew were to be in an important head of mission role when I was in danger of making very senior, very experienced diplomats leave the office,” he stated.

Disgraced peer Lord Mandelson was additionally requested in regards to the prospect of a task in Washington for Lord Doyle, Sir Olly advised. “I think subsequently, or maybe simultaneously, Mandelson was asked about whether there was a job that could be made available in the US network,” he advised MPs.

“And so I think the fact that No 10 was interested in potential diplomatic options for Doyle was probably a bit more broadly known than I realised at the time.”

Lord Doyle had the Labour whip withdrawn earlier this 12 months after it emerged he had campaigned on behalf of a buddy who had been charged with possessing indecent pictures 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.