This article is about the British political adviser. For other persons with similar names, see Matt Doyle (disambiguation).
The Right Honourable
The Lord Doyle
Doyle in 2009
Downing Street Director of Communications
In office
5 July 2024 – 28 March 2025
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer
Preceded by Nerissa Chesterfield
Succeeded by James Lyons and Steph Driver
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Life peerage
8 January 2026
Special adviser positions
(2005–2007)
Special adviser to the
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
In office
May 2005 – 27 June 2007
Prime Minister Tony Blair
Special adviser to the
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
In office
May 2005 – November 2005
Secretary David Blunkett
Director of Communications for the Labour Party
In office
June 2021 – March 2025
Leader Keir Starmer
Personal details
Born Matthew Leo Doyle
Party Labour[a]

Matthew Leo Doyle, Baron Doyle, is a British political adviser, political aide and life peer who served as Downing Street Director of Communications from July 2024 to March 2025. Doyle was created life peer in January 2026, shortly before being suspended for his connection to a charged distributor of indecent images of children.

Career

Under Blair and Brown (1998–2012)

Doyle was Head of Press and Broadcasting for the Labour Party between November 1998 and May 2005.[1] He was then special adviser to Work and Pensions Secretary, David Blunkett, from May to November 2005, before working as a special adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair from November 2005 to June 2007.[1] He was the Downing Street Deputy Director of Communications under Blair.[2] He departed Downing Street after Blair left office as Prime Minister, and went on to work as the Political Director of Blair's office from June 2007 to February 2012.[1]

Doyle was also the TV Debates Media Director for Prime Minister Gordon Brown in the 2010 general election.[1]

After Blair (2012–2021)

In 2012, he established his own political consultancy, MLD Advisory Ltd.[1] He also spent two years as the European Director of Communications for the International Rescue Committee under former Foreign Secretary David Miliband.[1][3]

Doyle led the press operation for Liz Kendall's campaign in the 2015 Labour leadership election.[4]

Under Starmer (2021–2025)

Shortly after the Labour defeat in the 2021 Hartlepool by-election,[5] Doyle was appointed the Labour Party Director of Communications on an interim basis under Leader Sir Keir Starmer, with the role later becoming permanent.[6][7][8] After Labour's victory in the 2024 general election,[9] Doyle was appointed Downing Street Director of Communications[10][11] and stepped down from the role in March 2025.[12]

House of Lords and suspension

Doyle was nominated by Starmer for a life peerage in December 2025 as part of the 2025 Political Peerages to sit in the House of Lords as a Labour peer; he was created Baron Doyle, of Great Barford in the County of Bedfordshire, on 8 January 2026.[13][14] Just weeks later, Doyle was suspended by the party over his friendship with Sean Morton, who was charged in 2016 and convicted in 2018 for possessing indecent images of children.[15][16] Doyle had campaigned with Morton for his re-election as an independent councillor in 2017.[17][18] Morton was later jailed for a similar offence in January 2025.[19] Doyle has since "apologised for his actions".[20]

Personal life

Lord Doyle is Roman Catholic.[21]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Matthew Doyle". mldoyle.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-09-11. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  2. ^ Luker, Sara (17 January 2012). "Tony Blair's political director Matthew Doyle resigns to pursue other interests". PR Week. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  3. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (2021-06-23). "Matthew Doyle appointed as interim director of communications". LabourList. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  4. ^ Hayward, Freddie (2023-09-06). "Starmer's transition from soft-left to Labour right is complete". New Statesman. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  5. ^ Steerpike (2021-06-25). "Labour director of communications: runners and riders". The Spectator. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  6. ^ "Who's who in Prime Minister Keir Starmer's inner circle". Sky News. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  7. ^ "Sir Keir Starmer picks ex-Tony Blair aide as interim communications chief". BBC News. 2021-06-23. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  8. ^ "Keir Starmer's ruthless remaking of the Labour party". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  9. ^ Walker, Peter (2024-05-24). "Meet the top teams: the key election advisers to Sunak and Starmer". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  10. ^ Pippa Crerar and Jessica Elgot (8 July 2024). "Who are the key people inside Labour's leadership team?". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Meet Downing Street's new comms team | PR Week". 2024-07-09. Archived from the original on 2024-07-09. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  12. ^ Crerar, Pippa (28 March 2025). "Keir Starmer's communications chief quits after nine months". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  13. ^ Courea, Eleni (10 December 2025). "Keir Starmer appoints 25 Labour peers to strengthen support in House of Lords". The Guardian.
  14. ^ "No. 64963". The London Gazette. 14 January 2026. p. 510.
  15. ^ Pike, Joe; Nevett, Joshua (2026-02-10). "Ex-Labour comms chief Lord Doyle suspended over links to sex offender". BBC News. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
  16. ^ Garton-Crosbie, Abbi (12 January 2026). "Ex-Starmer aide sworn into House of Lords despite sex offender links". The National. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  17. ^ Pogrund, Gabriel (27 December 2025). "Matthew Doyle: aide given peerage by PM campaigned for paedophile". The Times. Retrieved 2 February 2026. (subscription required)
  18. ^ Millie Cooke (28 December 2025). "Keir Starmer gave peerage to former aide who campaigned for child sex offender". The Independent. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  19. ^ McBlane, Lewis (2026-01-20). "Former Moray councillor served jail term for further child pornography charges". Forres Gazette. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
  20. ^ "Ex-official blames pressure from U.K. prime minister's office to pick Epstein-linked U.S. ambassador". CBC Canada. 22 April 2026. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  21. ^ Macintyre, James (19 July 2024). "Faith at the heart of Keir Starmer's team". Church Times. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  1. ^ Suspended since 9 February 2026