Lord Peter Mandelson should “do the right thing” and return his severance payment, the Scottish Labour leader has said.
The disgraced peer was given the £75,000 taxpayer-funded sum after being sacked as US ambassador over his ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
When asked by journalists at the Scottish Parliament if Lord Mandelson should return the money, Anas Sarwar said: “Absolutely, I mean this is a man who has proven to be a traitor to his country.
“He’s proven to be a traitor to many of his former colleagues, although that’s of less importance, he’s someone that should never have been considered or appointed as ambassador, and he should do the right thing and return the money that he got as a payment.”
Asked about Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s judgment in appointing Lord Mandelson to the role, the Scottish Labour leader said it was a “catastrophic error”.
He said: “I’ve stated my position, you know my view. This is a man that should never have even been considered for the role of ambassador, and it’s proven to be a catastrophic error and it’s right that he’s stripped of his peerage.
“It’s right that he’s now being investigated. Of course, that’s an independent police investigation, but he should also do the right thing and pay back this money.”
The UK Government has been approached for comment.
