Keir Starmer has expressed a desire to remove Peter Mandelson from the House of Lords following revelations of the Labour peer's deeper ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Emails suggest Epstein sent thousands of pounds to Lord Mandelson's husband, and others indicate confidential market-sensitive information from inside No 10 was shared with Epstein while Mandelson was business secretary.
However, stripping Mandelson of his peerage is exceptionally complex, with multiple potential routes. The process would require new legislation, which the government plans to introduce after the Commons recess.
The proposed law would create a mechanism to expel peers for serious misconduct, a power that currently does not exist. The move has sparked debate about the constitutional implications and the precedent it would set.
Mandelson has not commented publicly on the allegations or the prospect of losing his peerage. The government has not confirmed a timeline for the legislation.
