Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that revelations over his appointment of Lord Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the US could bring about his downfall.
Sir Keir's own MPs have told him the scandal could lead to his ousting in the same way the "Partygate" scandal led to the end of Boris Johnson's time in No10.
The documents reveal the Prime Minister was aware of clear warnings that Lord Mandelson had maintained close ties with Jeffrey Epstein following his conviction for sex offences in 2008.
But fears are now rising on the Labour benches that more damaging revelations could emerge in "drips" once the remaining documents are published following police investigations.
Ex-Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said: "Keir Starmer, you have allowed my party, the party of Keir Hardie, Clem Attlee, Aneurin Bevan, Harold Wilson, Barbara Castle, Tony Benn to be dragged into the gutter by Mandelson, McSweeney, Simons and Labour Together. We need an independent inquiry."
Labour backbencher Richard Burgon added: "The Mandelson scandal is what happens when a small clique at the top of the Labour Party sidelines members and trade union voices to cosy up to the rich and powerful."
A senior Labour MP told The i Paper: "I think the assumption amongst Labour MPs was that today the least damaging stuff (would) come out, so there is surprise at what has come out... and how much worse it can (get) - and how quickly.
"This has the prospect of being (what) Covid lockdown rule-breaking was for Boris."
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'Lord Mandelson should give £75k pay-out package to Epstein's victims,' says Labour minister
Lord Mandelson should give his £75,000 severance package to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, a Labour minister has suggested.
Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told GB News: "Morally, I absolutely agree. Peter Mandelson shouldn't have that money.
"Frankly, he should give that money away, possibly to a charity that supports victims. That would be the honourable thing to do."
'Lord Mandelson's £75k payout is disgusting,' deputy Tory chairman says
Matt Vickers joined GB News to discuss Lord Mandelson this morning
|GB NEWS
Tory MP Matt Vickers has described the decision to give Lord Mandelson a £75,000 payout as "absolutely disgusting".
Speaking to GB News this morning, Mr Vickers said: "It was an utter, utter failure of judgement on behalf of the Prime Minister, and it's there for everyone to see.
"And worse still, he gave him £75,000 of taxpayers' money as a golden handshake, as a goodbye. Absolutely disgusting. Completely unacceptable."
PM braces for questions after being told Mandelson appointment brought 'reputational risk'
Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to face questions from journalists after yesterday's dossier revealed the Prime Minister had been told about the "reputational risk" of making Lord Mandelson the UK's man in Washington.
The Prime Minister is expected to field questions during a visit to Belfast this morning.
Labour's top union donor nearly HALVES funding to Keir Starmer's 'incompetent' party
The union Unite has halved the fee it pays to the Labour Party by 40 per cent.
The union, historically one of Labour's highest donors, raged at Sir Keir Starmer's party for dragging its feet on paying bin workers in Birmingham, who have now been on strike for over a year.
It will decrease the amount it funds Sir Keir's party from £1.45million to £870,000, a move which the union said "shows the anger of Unite members".
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MPs launch probe into 'unfair' student loans system
A cross-party group of MPs has launched an investigation into Britain’s student loan system to assess whether it is fair to young people.
The Treasury Committee said it was opening the probe in response to graduates who feel "intensely dissatisfied with the terms" of their loans.
The move comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled plans to freeze repayment thresholds from 2027.
Committee chair Dame Meg Hillier, Labour MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch, said the inquiry would focus on "fairness".
She added: "Fundamentally, what we're asking is: have the goalposts been moved in a way which is unfair to graduates?"
Lords vote to scrap non-crime hate incidents in major free speech victory
The House of Lords has voted to scrap non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) in what could lay the ground for a major free speech victory.
Peers narrowly voted 227 to 221 in an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which would bar police forces from recording, retaining or processing data related to NCHIs.
The incidents would still allowed to be recorded if required to prevent or detect a crime.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Kemi Badenoch calls on Labour MPs to OUST 'dishonest' Keir Starmer
Kemi Badenoch has called on Labour backbenchers to oust Sir Keir Starmer
|HOUSE OF COMMONS
Kemi Badenoch has called on Labour backbenchers to oust Sir Keir Starmer, accusing the Prime Minister of having "not been honest with the country".
The Tory leader said Labour MPs must now consider whether Sir Keir is fit to remain in office.
"There are not enough Conservative MPs to remove the Prime Minister - he won a landslide," she said.
"Labour MPs now need to consider their conscience and their position and ask if this man is fit to run our country."
The Tory leader told Sky News that the "only people who can fix this" are Labour backbenchers.
She described the first tranche of the so-called Mandelson files as "yet another indictment of Keir Starmer's judgment".
She added: "The fact is we wouldn't have been paying Peter Mandelson anything if Keir Starmer hadn't appointed him in the first place.
"The vetting we have now seen shows the Prime Minister should never have made this decision.
"He has not been honest with the country and Parliament about what he knew."
RECAP: Labour releases first batch of Peter Mandelson files - six most explosive details revealed
The Labour Government has released the first batch of files relating to the appointment and subsequent dismissal of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington.
In them, details are revealed concerning the circumstances of the New Labour architect’s ejection from Government, his connections to the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and what Sir Keir Starmer knew ahead of giving him the diplomatic role.
Last month, the intense public scrutiny surrounding the scandal led to the PM being nearly ousted, the resignations of top Downing Street staff and the arrest of Lord Mandelson on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
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