Sir Olly Robbins Reveals Downing Street Considered Lord Doyle for Diplomatic Role
Sir Olly Robbins, the recently sacked Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, informed the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee that Downing Street explored diplomatic roles for Lord Doyle. During his testimony concerning Lord Mandelson's controversial appointment as US ambassador, Sir Olly revealed he felt "quite uncomfortable" with No. 10's proposal, particularly as he was told not to inform the then Foreign Secretary.
The discussions reportedly occurred shortly after Sir Olly assumed leadership of the Foreign Office in January last year, while Lord Doyle was still serving as the Prime Minister's director of communications. Sir Olly recounted "several discussions initiated by No. 10" regarding a potential "head of mission opportunity" for Lord Doyle, despite ongoing departmental considerations for job losses among experienced diplomats.
Lord Doyle, who left No. 10 in March 2025 and received a peerage, was suspended from the House of Lords in February over his association with Sean Morton, a former Labour councillor convicted of indecent child image offences. Lord Doyle has apologised for his past links to Morton, stating his support for Morton's election campaign was when Morton maintained his innocence.
Critics, including Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, have cited these revelations as further evidence of what they describe as a "culture of centralisation and patronage" within the Labour Party, questioning Sir Keir Starmer's judgement.
