Keir Starmer has called for Peter Mandelson to resign from the House of Lords after emails emerged showing the former business secretary shared confidential UK tax plans with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2009. The prime minister urged the upper chamber to modernise its disciplinary procedures to allow peers to be stripped of their titles.
The documents, released by the US Department of Justice on Friday, appear to show Mandelson forwarding a confidential government document outlining £20bn in asset sales and Labour's tax policy plans. In a separate email exchange, Epstein asked Mandelson to change government policy on bankers' bonuses, to which Mandelson replied: 'Trying hard to amend as I explained to Jes last night. Treasury digging in but I am on case.'
Downing Street said the cabinet secretary, the UK's most senior civil servant, will investigate Mandelson's actions as business secretary. A No 10 spokesperson stated: 'The prime minister believes that Peter Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords or use the title.' However, Starmer lacks the power to remove him unilaterally and is calling for reform of disciplinary procedures in the Lords.
Mandelson was sacked as UK ambassador to Washington last year over his relationship with Epstein. He resigned from the Labour party on Sunday night, saying he wanted to avoid causing it 'further embarrassment'. Labour confirmed disciplinary action against him was already under way.
Government insiders hope Mandelson will voluntarily stand down, but a No 10 source indicated no assurances have been received. The Lords conduct committee may be asked to recommend how peerages could be removed more easily. Labour promised in its manifesto to make it easier to remove rogue peers but has yet to act, with no precedent for removing a specific peer since the First World War.
