Peter Mandelson is set to be stripped of his peerage under new laws introduced “as soon as possible” after Parliament returns from recess, a minister has confirmed.
The government has been engulfed in scandal over the Prime Minister’s decision to appoint the former Labour cabinet minister Britain’s ambassador to the US despite his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein being widely known about.
On Thursday, Cabinet Office minister Chris Ward confirmed legislation would be brought forward to remove Mandelson from the House of Lords when Parliament returns from recess on February 23.
He also confirmed that material related to the vetting process that took place to install Lord Mandelson as ambassador, and his messages with officials in the lead up to it, would also be published after MPs return.
Officials are currently sifting through tens-of-thousands of documents before handing them to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee.
Mr Ward told MPs: "On the legislation to strip Lord Mandelson of his peerage and on broader reform of the House of Lords process for removal, that will come forward as soon as possible.
“It will be in Government time, as I committed to last week, and we will bring that forward after the recess.
“It is obviously a Cabinet Office matter, so the Cabinet Office is accountable, but obviously the Prime Minister is accountable for this as well. As I say, we will comply fully with the motion, and we will publish material as soon as we can.”
WhatsApp messages between government officials and Lord Mandelson around the time of his appointment are expected to be among the documents published by the government.
Wes Streeting earlier this week also published private messages with the Labour grandee in what was seen by many as way to limit their impact on any future leadership bid by the Health Secretary.
Mr Streeting told Sky News, who first obtained the messages, that he had "nothing to hide" over his relationship with Lord Mandelson.
In the message, the Ilford North MP said he feared losing his London seat at the next general election and also accused Israel of committing “war crimes before our eyes”.
Sir Keir Starmer is also facing pressure over his former communications chief Matthew Doyle, who was made a Lord by the Prime Minister, after he apologised for his past association with a paedophile councillor.
Lord Doyle was stripped of the Labour whip this week following revelations he campaigned for ex Labour councillor Sean Morton when he ran as an Independent at local elections in May 2017, five months after he had first appeared in court charged in connection with child abuse image offences.
