Matthew Doyle, Baron Doyle
The Lord Doyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Doyle in March 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Life peerage 8 January 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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.
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]
In 2017, he campaigned for the re-election of councillor Sean Morton, after Morton was charged with possessing and distributing indecent images of children in December 2016.[5][6]
Under Starmer (2021–2025)
Shortly after the Labour defeat in the 2021 Hartlepool by-election,[7] Doyle was appointed the Labour Party Director of Communications on an interim basis under Leader Sir Keir Starmer, with the role later becoming permanent.[8][9][10] After Labour's victory in the 2024 general election,[11] Doyle was appointed Downing Street Director of Communications[12][13] and stepped down from the role in March 2025.[14]
House of Lords
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.[15][16] Just weeks later, Lord Doyle was suspended by the party over his friendship with Morton.[17]
Personal life
Lord Doyle is Roman Catholic.[18]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Matthew Doyle". mldoyle.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-09-11. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Rodgers, Sienna (2021-06-23). "Matthew Doyle appointed as interim director of communications". LabourList. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
- ^ Hayward, Freddie (2023-09-06). "Starmer's transition from soft-left to Labour right is complete". New Statesman. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
- ^ Pogrund, Gabriel (27 December 2025). "Matthew Doyle: aide given peerage by PM campaigned for paedophile". The Times. Retrieved 2 February 2026. (subscription required)
- ^ Millie Cooke (28 December 2025). "Keir Starmer gave peerage to former aide who campaigned for child sex offender". The Independent. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ^ Steerpike (2021-06-25). "Labour director of communications: runners and riders". The Spectator. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
- ^ "Who's who in Prime Minister Keir Starmer's inner circle". Sky News. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
- ^ "Sir Keir Starmer picks ex-Tony Blair aide as interim communications chief". BBC News. 2021-06-23. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
- ^ "Keir Starmer's ruthless remaking of the Labour party". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Pippa Crerar and Jessica Elgot (8 July 2024). "Who are the key people inside Labour's leadership team?". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ "Meet Downing Street's new comms team | PR Week". 2024-07-09. Archived from the original on 2024-07-09. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
- ^ Crerar, Pippa (28 March 2025). "Keir Starmer's communications chief quits after nine months". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
- ^ Courea, Eleni (10 December 2025). "Keir Starmer appoints 25 Labour peers to strengthen support in House of Lords". The Guardian.
- ^ "No. 64963". The London Gazette. 14 January 2026. p. 510.
- ^ Pike, Joe; Nevett, Joshua (10 February 2026). "Ex-Labour comms chief suspended over links to sex offender". BBC News. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
- ^ Macintyre, James (19 July 2024). "Faith at the heart of Keir Starmer's team". Church Times. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ Suspended since 9 February 2026