The SNP has called on the Prime Minister to strip Lord Peter Mandelson of his peerage when the UK Parliament returns in September, warning that a failure to do so would be a “betrayal of the public”.
Lord Mandelson is currently under investigation by UK police and EU anti-fraud officers on suspicion of offences committed in public office, including the passing of privileged information to the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Background to the Investigation
The peer was sacked as ambassador to the US in September 2025 after leaked emails which showed he sent supportive messages to Epstein even as he faced jail for sex offences.
The UK Government has previously said it would introduce legislation to remove Lord Mandelson’s title, with Sir Keir Starmer’s chief secretary Darren Jones telling the Commons in February that this would happen “very, very shortly”. The proposal also featured in the King’s speech setting out the programme for government in May.
SNP Demands Action
However, the SNP pointed out no such legislation has been forthcoming and called on new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to “set out clearly” his intention to rectify this when Parliament returns from summer recess next month.
SNP MP Seamus Logan said: “Peter Mandelson should never have been near power, yet successive Labour Party leaders put Mandelson in positions of immense responsibility, which he abused for his own rotten ends.
“The UK Labour Government showed appalling judgment in appointing Mandelson despite knowing he had maintained his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the world’s most notorious paedophile, and had been forced out of government numerous times in the past due to his part in scandals.
“We now know Mandelson repeatedly abused his position in government by sharing highly-confidential, market-sensitive UK government information with Jeffrey Epstein.
“The fact that Mandelson has kept his peerage throughout this shocking episode and was allowed by the UK Labour government to retire from the House of Lords rather than being kicked out should shame the Labour Party – not to mention the £75,000 taxpayer-funded pay-off Mandelson received from the Labour Party.”
Call for Clear Commitment
The Aberdeenshire North and Moray East MP said Mr Burnham cannot now “kick the Mandelson issue into the long grass”.
Mr Logan added: “He must now set out clearly that he intends to strip Mandelson of his titles, and do so when the UK Parliament returns at the end of this month.
“If Burnham fails to strip Mandelson of his honours it will be a betrayal of the public and a betrayal of the brave victims of Jeffrey Epstein who have been so badly failed by the Labour Party.
“This entire sorry episode shows, once again, just how broken the Westminster system is – and the scale of the clearout needed right across this scandal-hit Labour government.”
The Press Association understands that the UK Government announced plans to bring forward legislation to remove peerages from disgraced peers in the King’s Speech earlier this year and will provide an update on those plans in due course.
