Keir Starmer is facing intensifying pressure to expel Peter Mandelson from the House of Lords, as outrage grows over the Labour peer's documented friendship with the convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. MPs from across the political spectrum are demanding immediate legislative action to strip Mandelson of his title and bar him from Parliament permanently.
Mounting Calls for Legislative Action
Furious parliamentarians have called for "immediate" emergency legislation to remove Lord Mandelson's peerage, arguing that the Prime Minister possesses the authority to enact such measures within days. Downing Street has stated that Sir Keir now believes Mandelson "should not be a member of the House of Lords," particularly after the release of documents suggesting financial transactions and information sharing with Epstein during Mandelson's tenure as Business Secretary.
However, Number 10 has claimed the PM "does not have the power" to unilaterally revoke the peerage, instead appealing to the Lords to establish new rules for expelling disgraced members. This assertion has been robustly challenged by MPs, who insist that emergency legislation could be swiftly passed to address the situation.
Cross-Party Condemnation and Demands
Robert Jenrick asserted that Lord Mandelson had "clearly broken the law" and must be expelled from the Lords without delay. The Reform party is expected to table legislation this week specifically designed to enable the stripping of his peerage. Simon Hoare, the Conservative chairman of the Commons public administration and constitutional affairs committee, noted that emergency legislation "could be rushed through this House in a day, such is the appetite to make the point."
Labour Left-winger Kim Johnson urged ministers to "legislate to remove all the privileges from this awful man as soon as possible." Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson called for Mandelson to be struck off by the Privy Council, declaring it time to "end the Lord Mandelson charade once and for all."
Questions Over Starmer's Judgment
The scandal has raised serious questions about Sir Keir Starmer's judgment, as well as that of his chief-of-staff Morgan McSweeney, in bringing Mandelson back into a government role as ambassador to the US. There is growing speculation within Westminster that Mr McSweeney, the architect of Labour's landslide election victory, could become a "sacrificial lamb" in the coming months as the Prime Minister attempts to manage the fallout and maintain his grip on power.
Veteran MP Clive Efford stated it was evident there were "questions that needed to be asked of Lord Mandelson that were not posed in the rush to appoint him." Fellow Labour MP Ian Byrne has called for a full investigation into "who knew what and when about Lord Mandelson before and during his disastrous appointment as ambassador." Nadia Whittome, another Labour MP, described the appointment as "naive at best, morally bankrupt at worst."
Latest Revelations and Ongoing Fallout
Among the latest disclosures, it has been revealed that Lord Mandelson's husband received £10,000 from Epstein. Furthermore, Reinaldo Avila da Silva was seen outside the couple's London home appearing tense yesterday morning. These developments have intensified scrutiny of Mandelson's connections and conduct.
Lord Mandelson has already taken a leave of absence from the Lords and resigned from the Labour Party, following the initiation of disciplinary action against him. Privately, ministers are reportedly hoping he will voluntarily agree to relinquish his peerage, although a life peer cannot formally give up their title without an Act of Parliament.
Review and Broader Concerns
Downing Street has announced that Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald will conduct an "urgent" review of "all available evidence" concerning Epstein's dealings with Mandelson during his time as a government minister. MPs are advocating for this review to be extended to cover his period as ambassador to the US.
Additional concerns have been raised about Mandelson's conduct in his ambassadorial role. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart informed MPs that Mandelson used his position to broker a meeting last February between the Prime Minister and US tech firm Palantir, a client of the lobbying firm he founded and in which he still held shares at the time.
Former Labour minister Justin Madders criticised Mandelson for having a "very casual relationship with probity" and urged ministers to disclose any information passed to him during his ambassadorship that "could have been used to benefit third parties."
Despite the mounting pressure, Downing Street has insisted that the Prime Minister acted "at every stage with integrity," claiming that Sir Keir and his advisers were unaware of the full extent of Mandelson's friendship with Epstein at the time of his appointment, despite prior warnings. The government described Epstein's crimes as "unforgivable" and noted that Mandelson was dismissed last September once it became clear he had disputed Epstein's conviction for procuring a minor.
