Politics
Politics Home Article | Peter Mandelson To Retire From House of Lords
1 min read
Lord Mandelson is to step down from the House of Lords after it was revealed he leaked sensitive government documents to the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The peer bowed to pressure to resign after he was accused of passing sensitive information to Epstein when he was business secretary in 2009 in Gordon Brown’s government, following the release of files by the US Department of Justice.
The Prime Minister had been under growing pressure to strip Mandelson of his peerage, earlier today asking officials to draw up legislation “as quickly as possible”. This would be the first time an act of Parliament has been used to do this since 1917.
Mandelson has been on a leave of absence from the upper chamber.
Last night the Metropolitan Police said they were reviewing reports of alleged misconduct in a public office.
Downing Street has said the Cabinet Office has referred material to the police after reviewing the Epstein files documents.
At Cabinet today the Prime Minister said Mandelson had “let his country down” and there was a need to “move at pace” in responding to information released by the US Department of Justice.
