Peter Mandelson has been disgraced over his long-standing links with Jeffrey Epstein.

But right now, he is still a Lord, and can still return to the House of Lords – with all its privileges and alllowances.

Even prime minister Keir Starmer has called for Mandelson to quit the Lords – but claims that he has no power to force him to do so.

This is not true. As Lib Dem leader Ed Davey pointed out, the Commons could pass a “very short bill” today to strip Mandelson’s peerage. They just need to take the issue seriously enough to do it.

Mandelson is now subject to police investigation, and there are growing calls for a public inquiry.

The government must urgently throw him out of the House of Lords and strip him of his title.