An SNP politician has asked if the growing scandal engulfing Peter Mandelson means it is now time to abolish the House of Lords.

Chris Law tells the Commons: "Peter Mandelson leaking confidential government secrets to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein whilst business secretary should be more than enough to evidence to warrant expelling him from the House of Lords. And yet we're here today. 

"That's not going to happen through legislation, sadly. This is yet another scandal in the House of Lords. 

"And worse, Labour has promised major law reform over hundreds of years. Time and again they've kicked the can down the road. 

"So does the chief secretary agree with many in this House that rather than desperately trying to reform what's an embarrassingly broken system, it is time for the House of Lords to be finally abolished?"

Responding, Darren Jones says that Law knows the government believes Mandelson should no longer sit in the Lords and shouldn't use his title.

The cabinet minister adds: "But he is right that the rules need to be updated to allow for that action to be implemented by the House of Lords. 

"We've written to the House of Lords authorities today to say that that work must begin, and the government stands ready to support them in doing that."

Mandelson has been contacted by Paste BN over the latest allegations, but has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

A Conservative MP has said the police should be "immediately" involved in any investigation into Peter Mandelson's time in government, due to the risk of "destruction of evidence".

Tom Tugendhat says: "The police should be called immediately because what we're seeing right now is misconduct in public office. 

"This goes all the way to the chief of staff, to the prime minister, and the possibility of destruction of evidence and obscuring a future prosecution is now raising in possibility, and it is being masked by his government."

Responding, Darren Jones insists he refutes "in the strongest possible terms any accusation that the government would seek to interfere or block any investigation".

The chief secretary to the PM adds: "It's absolutely wrong to suggest that documents would be made unavailable or deleted. 

"The cabinet secretary is today reviewing the government archives from the time in question. 

"We'll comply with any investigation that then takes place. 

"I think the right honourable gentleman must know that to accuse me or other parts of the government of misdemeanour in the way he has is wholly unsatisfactory. Am I to say out of character?"

Multiple MPs have called on the government to say that Peter Mandelson should be under criminal investigation.

It follows allegations that Lord Mandelson leaked sensitive UK government tax plans to Jeffrey Epstein when he was the business secretary and gave him advanced warning of a €500bn EU bank bailout in 2010.

This comes from documents released by the US Department of Justice.

Dame Emily Thornberry, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, says: "Surely this is not a matter of whether Peter Mandelson be in the House of Lords. This is a matter of whether the police should be involved."

Similarly, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, says: "I cannot understand why the minister is acting like the Labour Party have been proactive in relation to this when they have known for months about Peter Mandelson revelations, and yet have allowed him to maintain a party membership throughout that time. 

"And I cannot understand why half an hour ago, the prime minister of the United Kingdom did not just apologise for his decision-making, his lack of judgement and say that Peter Mandelson should be subject to a criminal investigation."

Watch: Sky's chief politics correspondent Jon Craig on the SNP's call for a police investigation

Responding to these calls, Darren Jones tells the Commons: "The undeclared exchange of funds, the passing on of government information, let alone the facts that those exchanges were to a convicted paedophile, are wholly unconscionable. 

"The House will know that if any of those activities were to take place today, ministers would be swiftly relieved of their duties and could be, via the record petitions available to the House, removed from their constituency too.

"As to the matter of criminal investigations, of course, that is a matter for the prosecution services and the police."

Responding specifically to Flynn's allegations, the chief secretary to the PM insisted: "Neither the Labour Party nor the government or indeed this House or the honourable member knew about the information that was made available by the US Department of Justice only a matter of days ago.

"As soon as that information became available, the government has acted accordingly."

Mandelson has previously insisted: "I was wrong to believe Epstein following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards. 

"I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered."

Paste BN has approached him over the latest allegations.

The Conservatives have said an investigation into Peter Mandelson's past conduct must include his time as US ambassador last year.

Alex Burghart is responding to the minister's statement on Lord Mandelson and his relationship with dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. 

The shadow Cabinet Office minster points to the latest documents released by the US government, and the government announcing a Cabinet Office investigation into Mandelson's past conduct.

But he adds: "It is not enough to consider Mandelson's historic conduct. 

"There also needs to be an investigation into his behaviour whilst he was our ambassador in Washington, given that he abused his previous position, it is entirely conceivable that he abused his most recent one."

Mandelson has previously told journalists: "I was wrong to believe Epstein following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards. 

"I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered."

'It is time that someone took responsibility' for Mandelson appointment

Burghart continues: "The government cannot hide from its responsibility in having made Mandelson its ambassador in the first place. This was a political appointment. It happened only because of political pressure.

"Either there was the most terrible failure of the vetting system, or the government chose to brush that vetting information away.

"And both are very serious. But the government must now be honest with us, about which it was."

He concludes by asking who in Number 10 "knew what and when" and if the PM "genuinely did not know".

"Something went very badly wrong with this appointment... and it is time that someone took responsibility," he ends.

Darren Jones responds: "The person that has to take responsibility for their failings is Peter Mandelson."

He insists that the information Mandelson gave during vetting was "not wholly truthful".

Darren Jones says Peter Mandelson should quit the House of Lords over allegations about his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. 

The chief secretary to the PM is now making a statement about the government's position on Lord Mandelson in the Commons.

He begins by saying that Epstein was a "despicable criminal who committed disgusting crimes".

Jones then continues: "It is increasingly clear that his awful crimes involved and were facilitated by many, often powerful people, both by actively participating in those crimes but also by failing to hear those victims voices, by equating wealth with integrity, and by not using one's privileged position to speak out, even against a friend."

The senior cabinet minister then turns to documents released by the US government in recent days.

These "highlighted the close nature of the relationship between Jeffrey Epstein and Peter Mandelson, including alleged financial transactions when Peter Mandelson was a Labour member of parliament and later minister", Jones says.

The minister insists this was not known by the government until the documents were released on Friday. 

He continues: "The nature of the documents also raised serious concerns about Peter Mandelson's behaviour, whilst the minister, Peter Mandelson, must account for his actions and conduct.

"Peter Mandelson is no longer a member of the Labour Party, having resigned his membership last night, and the House may wish to know that disciplinary action was underway by the Labour Party prior to his resignation. 

"The prime minister believes, as does the government, that Peter Mandelson should not retain his membership of the House of Lords or use his title."

Ministers have begun process to change law around removing peers

Jones points out that the government can't kick Mandelson out of the lords without passing a bespoke law - and says the PM wants all parties to work with government to "modernise the disciplinary procedures to allow for removal of peers".

He concludes: "The government will today write to the appropriate authorities in the other place to start that process."

Darren Jones is now making a statement on the latest revelations regarding Lord Mandelson.

Peter Mandelson served as US ambassador between February and September last year, having been picked by Sir Keir Starmer. 

But he was fired over allegations about his friendship with disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Over the weekend, the US Congress has published further documents relating to Epstein.

Number 10 has indicated that Mandelson should resign his position in the Lords.

Sir Keir Starmer has clarified that he understands not everybody facing sanctions from China has had them lifted. 

The PM is asked about the move by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to lift sanctions on those in the UK, and if he got this change "in writing".

Starmer rises to his feet and responds: "That is my understanding in relation to all parliamentarians. 

"I accept that in relation to others, we do need to see how much further we can go."

It follows confusion about who remains sanctioned and who does not. 

Four current MPs and two peers who were sanctioned are now thought to be able to travel to China. 

But former Tory MP Tim Loughton told Paste BN on Friday that he was unsure if this meant he was no longer sanctioned, as he is not a parliamentarian any more.

Watch that moment here:

Loughton also pointed out that a number of other figures have previously been sanctioned by China, as have the families of parliamentarians - but it was unclear if they had been affected by the changes.

The group of former and current people sanctioned by China also issued a statement, saying they only wanted sanctions lifted if they were axed for everybody - and not just for those in parliament.

It now appears clear that Starmer accepts that the sanctions have not been lifted for those outside of the Commons and the Lords.

Opposition parties have called for police to investigate allegations that Peter Mandelson leaked sensitive UK government tax plans to Jeffrey Epstein when he was the business secretary.

The Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party (SNP), and Plaid Cymru, have all released statements urging for a police investigation. 

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, also repeated his call for an investigation in the House of Commons today.

The confidential document, released by the US Department of Justice as part of millions of files relating to Epstein, was written by Nick Butler, a special adviser to Gordon Brown, the prime minister at the time.

Mandelson forwarded the memo to Epstein in 2009, captioning it: "Interesting note that's gone to the PM."

The revelation will add to the pressure on the former British ambassador to Washington, who resigned his membership from the Labour Party yesterday.

Lord Mandelson has been approached for comment.

On his relationship with Epstein he has previously said: "I was wrong to believe Epstein following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards. I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered."

Butler told Paste BN: "I don't have any comment beyond being shocked by the betrayal of trust involved."

Lord Mandelson leaked sensitive UK government tax plans to Jeffrey Epstein when he was business secretary, emails appear to show. 

The confidential document, released by the US Department of Justice as part of millions of files relating to Epstein, was written by Nick Butler, a special adviser to Gordon Brown, the prime minister at the time.

Mandelson forwarded the memo to Epstein in 2009, captioning it: "Interesting note that's gone to the PM."

The revelation will add to the pressure on the former British ambassador to Washington, who resigned his membership from the Labour Party yesterday.

Lord Mandelson has been approached for comment.

On his relationship with Epstein he has previously said: "I was wrong to believe Epstein following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards. I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered."

Butler told Paste BN: "I don't have any comment beyond being shocked by the betrayal of trust involved."