Once again, Keir Starmer’s government has ended up talking about scandal, rather than policy: something the Prime Minister once levelled as an accusation at the Tories. Health ministers had hoped to spend today talking about improving cancer treatment, but instead we are settling into an entire week dominated by Peter Mandelson.

The Met have now announced they are launching a criminal investigation over allegations that Mandelson leaked sensitive information to Epstein

Starmer has been rushing to remove any trace of the ex-Labourite, passing to the Metropolitan Police a ‘dossier’ of evidence suggesting Mandelson could have leaked market sensitive information on the 2008 banking crash, and asking his officials to draft legislation to remove Mandelson’s peerage ‘as quickly as possible’.

Mandelson then obliged by stepping down from the Lords, something No. 10 described as ‘right’ – and presumably also convenient – though he will retain his peerage and his right to style himself Lord Mandelson.

Yet the Met have now announced they are launching a........

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