A SCOTTISH MP who was suspended by Keir Starmer has criticised Peter Mandelson retaining the Labour whip despite being sacked as ambassador.
On Thursday, Lord Mandelson was sacked as UK ambassador to the US after details of his relationship with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein were exposed.
The Sun revealed Mandelson had coached Epstein through his conviction for soliciting prostitution in 2008, leading to him being “withdrawn” as ambassador by the Prime Minister.
It is the third time he has been sacked from a government role, having been forced out twice under Tony Blair.
Pressure is now mounting on Starmer to set out what he knew and when, while many have criticised his decision-making.
And, Labour backbenchers have expressed anger at Starmer’s handling of the row over Mandelson, with almost 50 reported to have contacted the Chief Whip, Jonathan Reynolds, calling for the peer to be sacked.
Brian Leishman, MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, had the whip removed by Starmer in July after repeatedly criticising the UK Government over welfare reforms, winter fuel payment cuts and the closure of Grangemouth oil refinery.
However, Leishman voted in favour of keeping the two-child benefit cap and scrapping the winter fuel payment before he rebelled over proposed welfare cuts to disability allowance.
Writing on Twitter/X, he said: “In July, four of us had the party whip suspended for defending disabled people and fighting for the real values of the Labour Party.
“Mandelson has not been suspended.”
Chris Hinchcliff, MP for North East Hertfordshire who was suspended from Labour at the same time as Leishman, said that Mandelson should be removed from the House of Lords.
In a statement on social media, he said: “Peter Mandelson may find his correspondence with the despicable, convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein embarrassing. I think most people would consider it to be a disgrace.
“While he has rightly been removed as an ambassador, he should also be stripped of his place in the House of Lords.
“Someone with such flawed judgement should not be involved in shaping the laws of our country.”
It comes as the SNP have lodged a motion in the House of Commons urging the PM to start the “legislative process” to strip Mandelson of his peerage.
And, newly appointed Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander defended Starmer’s handling of the saga during Friday morning’s broadcast round.
Speaking to the BBC, Alexander said he understood why Labour MPs were “despondent”, as Mandelson’s dismissal came a week after Angela Rayner was forced to resign from the Cabinet and Labour’s deputy leadership over her tax affairs.
He said: “These are not the headlines any of us in Government or in Parliament would have chosen or wanted. But the fact is when the evidence emerged, action had to be taken and we are looking forward, therefore, to moving on.”
He added that “while the politics is really hard”, there were still “policy achievements underway”.
