Monday, February 2, 2026

Keir Starmer tried to get ahead of the wave of outrage over the latest revelations about Peter Mandelson in the Jeffrey Epstein files. The prime minister urged the House of Lords to change its disciplinary rules so that Lord Mandelson, who is currently on leave of absence from the upper house, can be stripped of his peerage. 

Starmer cannot expel Mandelson from the Labour Party because he has already resigned. But the prime minister's decisive statement feels like a bit of theatre, given that life peers cannot lose their title unless the law is changed, which Starmer's government would have to do. 

By responding quickly to the alleged payments and leaks of sensitive government information, Starmer may be hoping to minimise the further damage to his reputation from the decision to appoint Mandelson ambassador to Washington. That turned out to be a bad idea, as Mandelson admitted by resigning from that job. But now it looks very bad indeed, and Mandelson has nearly run out of things to resign from.  

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Daily briefing

Resident NHS doctors vote in favour of more strike action

Although 93 per cent of those voting wanted more strikes, turnout was 53 per cent, so only 49 per cent of eligible doctors voted for industrial action

Peter Mandelson resigns from Labour Party over Epstein links

The former ambassador to the US said he did not wish to 'cause further embarrassment' over his links to the convicted sex offender 

Keir Starmer hints at comeback for Angela Rayner

The prime minister said he wanted to bring his former deputy back to the front line 'at the right point'

What else you need to know today

The Independent View

Politics Explained

Why is Labour's by-election campaign struggling?

Eighteen months after a landslide general election victory, Labour's fight to keep a traditional safe seat is stuttering. Sean O'Grady looks at what it could mean for the government and the prime minister...

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QUOTATION OF THE DAY

As first minister, I will uphold and respect the Equality Act – we must protect single-sex spaces, based on biological sex

Anas Sarwar, Labour leader in Scotland

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