No 10 considered giving Doyle ambassador role, sacked official says

Downing Street considered giving the prime minister's then-director of communications Lord Doyle an ambassador role, the former top civil servant at the Foreign Office has said.

Sir Olly Robbins made the claim while giving evidence to the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee about the appointment of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador.

Sir Olly said he felt "quite uncomfortable" after No 10 discussed potentially finding Lord Doyle a head of mission role with him and told him not to tell the foreign secretary about this.

The ex-communications chief was made a peer after leaving No 10 in March 2025, but was suspended from the House of Lords this February over his links with a convicted sex offender.

Lord Doyle has been approached for comment.

He has apologised for his past association with Sean Morton, a former Labour councillor in Moray who admitted indecent child image offences in 2017.

It came after the Sunday Times reported that Lord Doyle campaigned for Morton after he was charged with possessing and distributing indecent images of children in December 2016.

Lord Doyle has said his support for Morton's election campaign came at a time when he was maintaining his innocence.

Sir Olly was sacked last week after it emerged his department had given Lord Mandelson security clearance, despite concerns being raised during the vetting process.

During his appearance in front of the Foreign Affairs Committee, he was asked if No 10 proposed any other political appointees for roles during his time leading the Foreign Office.

In response, he told MPs No 10 was "interested in potential diplomatic options for Doyle" and there were "several discussions initiated by No 10 with me about potentially finding a head of mission opportunity" for him, while he was serving as the PM's director of communications.

"I was under strict instruction not to discuss that with the then foreign secretary, which was uncomfortable," he said.

He added that he was unsure "who exactly was behind" the suggestion or "how serious it was".

Sir Olly said the proposal came shortly after he took over leading the Foreign Office in January last year, and while Lord Doyle was still at No 10, at a time when potential job losses were being discussed at his department.

"I found it very hard to think how I would explain to the office what the credentials of Matthew [Doyle] 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 said.

Sir Olly added that he "felt quite uncomfortable about it" and kept "giving advice that I thought this would be very hard for the office and was hard for me personally to defend".

He claimed Lord Mandelson was also asked about the prospect of a role in Washington for Lord Doyle.

Sir Keir has faced criticism for his decision to appoint Lord Doyle to the House of Lords.