Peter Mandelson is at the centre of a row over his links to the disgraced financier
Starmer sacks Lord Mandelson as ambassador to US
Sir Keir Starmer believes Lord Peter Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords following further revelations about his links to Jeffrey Epstein. Downing Street said the Prime Minister thinks the former US ambassador should no longer sit in Parliament but does not have the power to strip him of his peerage.
Speaking today, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister believes that Peter Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords or use the title. However, the Prime Minister does not have the power to remove it.”
The spokesman also said the country’s top civil servant has also been tasked with urgently reviewing information on links between Lord Mandelson and the billionaire paedophile while he was a Government minister.
Lord Mandelson has been facing calls to be stripped of his peerage (Image: Getty)
It comes as Sir Keir is facing calls to strip Lord Mandelson of his peerage, which would require a new law, after new documents relating to Epstein were released.
It would mark the final nail in the coffin of Lord Mandelson’s political career. He has been on a leave of absence from the Lords since he was appointed ambassador to the US.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Enough is enough. We need a full Cabinet Office investigation into how Mandelson and his husband took money from the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein while he was a Labour minister, and why Mandelson was appointed ambassador in the first place.”
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed said: “It’s time now for the Government to take immediate action by bringing forward legislation to strip Peter Mandelson of his peerage. It is the very least they can do for the victims and survivors of his friend Jeffrey Epstein.”
Under the current arrangements, a new law would be required to remove a peerage, something that last happened more than 100 years ago to deal with members of the nobility who sided with the Germans in the First World War.
It comes after Lord Mandelson last night wrote to the general secretary of the Labour Party to say he was resigning his party membership.
In his letter, he said: “Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.
“While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.”
