Sir Keir Starmer said his former communications chief “did not give a full account of his actions” when he was given a peerage despite his ties to a paedophile councillor.
Lord Matthew Doyle apologised after having the Labour whip removed over his links to Sean Morton, who he campaigned for in 2017 after he had been charged over indecent images of children.
His elevation to the House of Lords has raised fresh questions about the Prime Minister’s judgment amid claims his former aide’s friendship with Morton was public knowledge when his appointment was confirmed.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir of knowing about his former spin doctor’s association with Moray councillor Morton when Lord Doyle took his seat in the upper chamber.
The Labour leader replied: “Matthew Doyle did not give a full account of his actions.
“On Monday I promised my party and my country there will be change.
“And yesterday I removed the whip from Matthew Doyle.”
Mrs Badenoch pointed out that The Sunday Times reported on Lord Doyle’s association with Morton in late December, after his appointment to the upper chamber was announced, but that he went on to be sworn in in January regardless.
“Despite the Prime Minister knowing this, he gave Doyle a job for life in the House of Lords anyway,” the Conservative leader said.
A Government source said: “There is no established precedent for withdrawing a peerage nomination after the announcement stage.”
In his apology, Lord Doyle said that he believed Moray councillor Morton’s assertions of innocence at the time he campaigned for him, but the councillor later admitted having the images.
He apologised “unreservedly” for supporting Morton before the case against him had concluded.
The peer said he also had “extremely limited” contact with Morton after his conviction.
Labour had suspended Morton after he appeared in court in connection with indecent child images in late 2016.
Lord Doyle campaigned for Morton when he ran as an Independent in May 2017.
Sir Keir has faced calls to strip Lord Doyle of his peerage, including from Labour’s chairwoman Anna Turley.
The row comes after a torrid week for his premiership, which has been rocked by two departures from Downing Street, a call from the Scottish Labour leader for him to resign and the scandal surrounding Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment as the UK ambassador to the US despite his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
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