Image source, UK Parliament

Lord Mandelson's dwindling reputation remains the focus of Westminster after the former minister's relations with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein led to a police investigation and his resignation from the House of Lords. Here's what to come today:

• Starmer will take on questions from MPs in the House of Commons from 12:00 at PMQs. His judgement in appointing Mandelson, and clarity on what he knew when, are likely to be the focus of many questions from MPs today
• Then, shortly after PMQs, the Tories will look to force the government to release all documents relating to Mandelson's appointment to Washington - this could include messages with key figures in the current government, including Starmer's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney

No 10 is not likely to vote that motion down, our chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman writes. Instead, they will look to carve out an exemption, requesting that papers that'd be "prejudicial" to national security and international relations not be released.

The debate will take as long as it takes. But don't fret, we'll be covering it all live, bringing you the latest updates and analysis.

Rianna Croxford
Investigations correspondent

Lord Peter Mandelson sought Epstein’s opinion on the draft of his 2010 memoir about New Labour’s rise to power and his relationships with former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

“I have finished my first read […] The deals you want to be involved in require discretion, trust, handshakes, privacy. This book announces that you are willing to sell all of these for a farthing,” Epstein wrote as part of an email exchange dated 16 May 2010.

“Your friend, and boss, tony [sic], is more often described as frail, flustered, tired, weak, and Gordon, flawed, demanding, pig-headed, irrationally determined.”

The emails, released by the US Department of Justice, give an insight into how much Mandelson valued Epstein’s advice and shows they remained close after the disgraced financier was convicted of child sex offences in 2008.

“It is not uplifting, it is gossipy and defensive,” Epstein adds, saying he found the draft book “troubling” and recommending that Mandelson look at his manuscript again.

Lord Mandelson challenged his view, saying: “You have read it too fast. It is not those things. But nor is it yet finished.”

Image source, BBC/Newsnight

Democratic Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández has urged Sir Keir Starmer to encourage Lord Mandelson to testify before American lawmakers about the extent of his knowledge of Epstein's conduct.

• As a reminder, the former ambassador previously told BBC News that, as a gay man, he was "kept separate from what he [Epstein] was doing in the sexual side of his life"

“I think the reckoning has to take place," the New Mexico congresswoman told BBC's Newsnight on Tuesday.

"I don’t think it’s actually happening yet, because we know that the Epstein files have not been fully disclosed, and we know this administration, the Trump administration, continues to stonewall and continues to make it difficult for the survivors to get the justice that they are seeking.”

Image source, BBC/BBC Breakfast

Health Secretary Wes Streeting is facing further questions on Lord Mandelson as he appears on the Today programme.

Presenter Justin Webb notes that "Peter Mandelson has been a friend of yours - is he still?"

Streeting says no, adding that what Mandelson did was "jaw-droppingly stupid and outrageous". He adds that whether he's met a criminal threshold is for the police to decide.

The health secretary goes on to say that Labour MPs feel particularly let down because Mandelson betrayed their values, and is not the person they thought he was.

Streeting is asked why a group of people at the top of the party kept trusting Peter Mandelson, including Streeting himself.

He says Mandelson was ultimately appointed as ambassador because it was felt he possessed "a combination of skills" needed to foster close ties between the UK and the US.

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

It is worth stressing that in a not-too-distant parallel universe, this would have been a major scandal about a man who was a senior government minister 16 years ago.

Yes, it still would have been a very big deal - but one in which the current government would have been something of a bystander.

In reality, it is a scandal about a man who took up Britain’s top diplomatic posting last year, on the appointment of this government and this prime minister.

That’s the point Kemi Badenoch will seek to press this afternoon, with a motion demanding that the government release an array of documents, including due diligence conducted before Lord Mandelson’s ambassadorial appointment but also much else besides such as all electronic communications between Mandelson and ministers, officials and advisers while he was ambassador.

The government is not trying to vote that motion down, which is telling. Had they tried to, they may have lost the vote.

Instead, they are seeking to carve out an exemption, saying that they will not release papers “prejudicial to UK national security or international relations”.

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is arguing this morning that this shows the government is committed to “maximum transparency”. But the Conservatives will argue that the international relations caveat is far too broad.

It will be fascinating to see whether the government can carry Labour MPs with them on this later.

Streeting is pressed on how Mandelson got through the vetting process.

"That information will be published," he tells BBC Breakfast. "With the exception of information which is either sensitive in relation to national security, or sensitive in relation to our diplomatic relations with other countries, the prime minister is going for maximum transparency here to assure the public."

He then sets out some reasons as to why - at the time - Mandelson was appointment to his role as US ambassador was made.

"We thought he served successfully and effectively as business secretary in Gordon Brown's government; he served successfully as the EU's trade commissioner, he is obviously a skilled politician and it was felt those skills would serve our country well at a sensitive time for UK-US relations and against a turbulent backdrop.

"But it was clear to the prime minister in the release of the last tranche of Epstein documents that he had not been given the whole truth. That is why the prime minister sacked Peter Mandelson.

"Then in the latest tranche of information, the prime minister's worst fears - that more were to come - was confirmed."

Image source, BBC/BBC Breakfast

We can now bring you the latest from Health Secretary Wes Streeting who, after discussing a new government strategy to improve survival rates for people with cancer, is asked about the Met Police investigation into Peter Mandelson.

Mandelson has stepped down from the House of Lords but is keeping his title - is that right?, Streeting is asked.

“No, the PM is not going to accept that," he replies.

Starmer has already ordered officials to draw up plans to ensure Mandelson is stripped of his title, he adds.

For context: Members of the House of Lords can give up their membership of the chamber, as Lord Mandelson has said he will do. Stripping the title would require an act of Parliament

Streeting says he's not going to comment on a police investigation - because it would be inappropriate to do that when it's ongoing - but he says he doesn't need a copy of the ministerial code to know that what Mandelson did was "completely wrong, totally outrageous and to be honest quite shocking".

What we've seen is a serving government minister sending the most sensitive private information to an outsider, he says.

It was clear to the PM that what he was told was not the full truth, when he appointed Mandelson as US ambassador.

Image source, PA Media

The Tories had been gearing up for a parliamentary ambush by petitioning the release of information as to why Sir Keir Starmer sent Lord Mandelson to Washington last year in what is known as a humble address.

It now appears the government may publish those messages, emails and documents - apart from those deemed prejudicial to national security - rather than face a tricky vote, with the Conservative chairman accusing Starmer of "caving in" to the Tories' humble address intention.

Ahead of a busy day in Westminster, Kevin Hollinrake tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We will probably learn a lot about Sir Keir Starmer's judgement, but we are yet to see what these documents will reveal.

"The reality is Keir Starmer knew he was appointing one of the dodgiest people in politics to the role of ambassador to the US - one of the best jobs in politics. He knew of his background and he knew of his relationship with Epstein and he still pushed ahead and appointed him.

"Let's not forget, back in 2008 Mandelson was corresponding with a known paedophile at a time when millions of people were being put out of work in this country. Mandelson - what he was doing at that time - was seeking to do favours for his best pal and to enrich himself in the process.

"It is right the police are investigating, they must be allowed to do their work but I think everyone given the nature of the revelations think it must be the case a prosecution will ensue. This is not petty party politics, this is hugely serious."

• As a reminder, the BBC understands Mandelson's position is that he has not acted in any way criminally and wasn't motivated by financial gain

We're due to hear from Health Secretary Wes Streeting shortly on BBC Breakfast.

Streeting will be talking about a new cancer strategy, but he's also expected to be asked about the police's investigation into Peter Mandelson. We'll bring you the top lines from him here.

Image source, US Department of Justice

Email exchanges published by the US Justice Department last Friday indicate Lord Mandelson was in close contact with Jeffrey Epstein while working at the heart of government as it grappled with the financial crisis.

The emails suggest:

• Mandelson gave advance notice to Epstein of a €500bn bailout from the EU to save the Euro
• He sent Epstein internal government information about the state of the UK economy in 2009
• Mandelson lobbied the Treasury on banking policy at Epstein's suggestion in 2009. Mandelson has told the BBC that every UK and international bank was making the same argument about the impact on UK financial services
• He helped an investment banker friend of Epstein secure a deal with the UK government to buy a profitable asset in 2010, and later sought to make money from his bank
• Epstein made payments to Mandelson and his partner - $75,000 to Mandelson between 2003 and 2004, £10,000 to Reinaldo Avila da Silva in 2009. Mandelson wrote in his resignation letter: "Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me"

Mandelson has not responded to further requests for comment, including about giving Epstein an advance notice of an impending EU bailout or forwarding him government information about the UK's struggling economy.

The BBC understands his position is that he has not acted in any way criminally and that he was not motivated by financial gain.

Read more, including the original documents from the Epstein files, here.

Labour figures are boiling with betrayalpublished at 07:03 GMT 4 February

07:03 GMT 4 February

Chris Mason
Political editor

Image source, PA Media

These latest revelations about Lord Mandelson leave many Labour figures seething with disappointment and boiling with betrayal.

The gravity of what is alleged points to an emerging political scandal building to perhaps one of the biggest for a generation.

Plenty knew Lord Mandelson was a big character, a risky pick, a man with a biography scattered with previous examples of departing high office under a cloud.

The revelations of the last few days would have been significant in any context, but what has turbocharged their significance is they cannot be dismissed as historic.

The investigation by the Metropolitan Police will focus principally, we expect, on allegations from more than a decade and a half ago.

But what gives the row political salience now is Keir Starmer's decision to send Lord Mandelson to Washington a year ago.

• Read more here

Image source, Getty Images

Joshua Nevett
Political reporter

Image source, EPA

Last night, the Metropolitan Police launched a criminal investigation into Lord Mandelson over claims he leaked information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Emails released by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) appear to show Mandelson forwarded information to Epstein when he was business secretary under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2009.

Mandelson did not respond to requests for comment but the BBC understands his position is that he has not acted in any way criminally and that he was not motivated by financial gain.

A government spokesperson has said: "The government stands ready to provide whatever support and assistance the police need."

Mandelson - who was sacked as the UK's ambassador to the US last year - has told parliamentary authorities he intends to resign from the House of Lords today. He resigned from the Labour Party on Sunday.

• Read more about the investigation here.

Image source, Getty Images

The Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal investigation into former Labour peer Peter Mandelson over allegations of misconduct in public office.

The former Labour minister and US ambassador has been accused of passing market-sensitive government information to US financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Emails released by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) appear to show Lord Mandelson forwarded information to Epstein when he was business secretary under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2009.

Mandelson did not respond to requests for comment but the BBC understands his position is that he has not acted in any way criminally and that he was not motivated by financial gain.

Keir Starmer is set to face questions over Mandelson's appointment as he fronts Prime Minister's Questions later today.

The Conservatives are also expected to use their opposition day debate in the Commons to try to force disclosures over the vetting process prior to Mandelson being given the job of US ambassador.