Former senior civil servant Olly Robbins has claimed he was instructed to find a government role for a key aide to then-Labour leader Keir Starmer in 2024, and to keep the arrangement secret from the shadow foreign secretary at the time, David Lammy. Robbins made the allegation in an interview with The Guardian, detailing a request he said came from within the civil service.
The aide in question was reportedly Matthew Doyle, Starmer's director of communications. Robbins stated the objective was to place Doyle in a public appointment before the 2024 general election, a move seen as unusual for a serving opposition staffer. The effort was ultimately unsuccessful.
David Lammy, who is now the Foreign Secretary, has stated through a spokesperson that he was unaware of any such approach and that all public appointments are made transparently. A government spokesperson declined to comment on the specific allegations but reiterated that appointments follow established codes.
The revelation raises questions about the boundaries between the civil service and political opposition in the pre-election period. Robbins, who previously served as Theresa May's Brexit negotiator, has been a controversial figure due to his past roles.
