The SNP has stepped up pressure on the Prime Minister to bring forward legislation to strip Peter Mandelson of his titles and pension and to publish all documents relating to his appointment and conduct.
The demands come as the party also calls for Matthew Doyle to be removed from the House of Lords and for Downing Street to stop what it describes as stonewalling legitimate questions from journalists.
Peter Mandelson has voluntarily retired from the House of Lords but continues to retain his titles for life and a taxpayer funded ministerial pension and pay off, which can only be removed through primary legislation.
The SNP says Keir Starmer must act urgently to bring forward legislation to remove those entitlements.
The party is also calling for legislation to strip Matthew Doyle of his peerage.
Matthew Doyle, a former Director of Communications to Keir Starmer, has refused to clarify when he ceased contact with former Scottish Labour councillor Sean Morton, who was later convicted of child sex offences.
Downing Street has declined to answer questions from journalists over the Prime Minister’s decision to appoint Doyle to the Lords despite knowledge of those connections.
SNP Westminster Leader Stephen Flynn MP said the Prime Minister has serious questions to answer.
“Keir Starmer still has serious questions to answer about his own role in the Peter Mandelson scandal and his appointment of Matthew Doyle to the House of Lords.
“This isn’t going away.
“The Prime Minister has shown appalling judgement.
“He must come clean and admit why he ignored all the warnings, dismissed all the evidence, and chose to appoint Mandelson and Doyle despite knowing of their established connections to convicted paedophiles.
“Taxpayers will be sick to learn that Peter Mandelson will still get to keep his titles, and his taxpayer funded pension and pay off worth thousands of pounds, because Keir Starmer has failed to act.
“Starmer spent months protecting Mandelson and Doyle, and refusing to take action against them.
“He must now finally do the right thing, and strip them both of their titles and peerages, and take every action necessary to remove Mandelson’s taxpayer funded payments.”
“Starmer is up to his neck in this.
“Peter Mandelson and his pals were integral to Starmer’s takeover of the Labour Party.
“Starmer lied through his teeth to get elected and relied on sleazy supporters like Mandelson and his Sunday Supper Party friends.
“He paid them back with jobs for the boys and must now explain his actions to voters.”
The intervention follows warnings from the SNP over a proposed Labour amendment that would allow documents relating to Mandelson to be withheld from Parliament.
SNP Westminster Deputy Leader Pete Wishart MP said any attempt to conceal information would damage public trust.
“Keir Starmer must not attempt a Labour Party cover up over the Peter Mandelson scandal.
“The public deserve the full truth and all documents must be put before Parliamentarians without delay.
“Anything less will leave the public wondering what Keir Starmer is hiding and erode public trust in the Labour government.”
Wishart said Labour MPs must act if the amendment is not withdrawn.
“If Starmer won’t withdraw the amendment, Labour MPs must vote against it.
“This is one of the biggest scandals of the past century.
“The Labour government won’t get away with covering it up.”
