Defence personnel are to get new powers to take out drones near military bases.

It follows a doubling of drone incidents near UK bases last year, from 126 in 2024 to 266 in 2025.

Currently, only the police and certain other agencies have the power to take out drones.

Drones are usually defeated by using an electromagnet to jam its signal, causing it to fall out of the sky, although they can also be shot down in some circumstances.

New legislation will give the armed forces the ability to take out any drones near defence sites that are deemed to be posing a threat.

It covers land and underwater drones, as well those in the air.

Defence Secretary John Healey said: "The doubling of rogue drones near military sites in the UK in the last year underlines the increasing and changing nature of the threats we face.

"Through the Armed Forces Bill, we're giving our military greater powers to take out and shoot down threatening drones near bases, and stepping up investment in counter-drone technology to keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad."

Lord Mandelson has insisted that "there's nothing I can tell Congress about Epstein they don't already know".

In an interview with The Times newspaper, he insisted that he had "no exposure to the criminal aspects of" Jeffrey Epstein's life and that "none of [the Epstein files] indicate wrongdoing or misdemeanour on my part".

Mandelson also said "hiding under a rock would be a disproportionate response to a handful of misguided historical emails, which I deeply regret sending. 

"If it hadn't been for the emails, I'd still be in Washington," he said.

And he described the paedophile financier as like "muck that you can't get off your shoe... like dog muck, the smell never goes away" and like "bubonic plague".

The former ambassador to the US made the comments to the newspaper across two interviews - on 25 January, and on the phone last night.

That was before a Downing Street spokesperson today called on Lord Mandelson to no longer be a member of the House of Lords, and no longer use the title given to him by his peerage, and to testify to the US Congress, if asked. 

Lord Mandelson also admitted that his husband, Reinaldo, accepted money from Epstein to pay for an osteopathy course, while Mandelson was business secretary and being lobbied by the financier over changes to banker bonus rules.

But he recognised this was "clearly a lapse in our collective judgement" and insisted the idea this could have influenced government policy is "risible".

Our chief political correspondent Jon Craig has been assessing what happens next for Lord Mandelson, as new mentions in the Epstein files continue to emerge.

The former UK ambassador to the US resigned from the Labour Party yesterday, and has faced calls today - including from Keir Starmer - to give up his peerage in the House of Lords.

Political historian Sir Anthony Seldon has been discussing Lord Mandelson's lengthy political career.

He tells Paste BN that each leader who hired Mandelson knew that "he came with baggage" and had "profound flaws".

But Seldon added that Mandelson was "one of the first people in British politics to deeply understand the importance of focus groups and polling and the science of of electoral politics", which made him popular with successive Labour governments. 

But while he was "kind of genius... most geniuses have their dark sides, and he does," Seldon added.

You can watch the full interview below...

Rachael Maskell has said the growing scandal around Peter Mandelson is "about judgement of character".

Speaking to the Politics Hub, the backbench Labour MP calls for an independent investigation into his conduct, asking "where else has his tentacles of power run into?"

Maskell previously introduced a bill to parliament, the Removal of Titles Bill, which she calls "timely".

"It's waiting for its second reading, and parliament could rush that through and address the issue of the peerage," she says. 

Asked about why Lord Mandelson has bounced back so frequently throughout his career - he has been forced to resign or been fired three times - Maskell says: "Well, it's a very good question why so many people have depended on Peter Mandelson over the years, because clearly he has fallen so many times and yet seems to then be elevated to higher positions. 

"So I think there are serious questions that have got to be asked about judgement. 

"This is about judgement of character, but also it's about ensuring justice to those people who have fallen under him."

Challenged if she is referring to Sir Keir Starmer's judgement specifically, Maskell responds: "Well, none of us know exactly what those conversations are at the heart of government, but apparently there is close relationship between Peter Mandelson and several people, whether in the cabinet, the prime minister himself and of course his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney. 

"We don't know what those conversations are, but we want to know."

She adds that within the Labour Party, there are "concerns that there are a few people controlling our party, when we believe it should belong back to the members, back to the public".

Mandelson has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. 

Stephen Flynn has attacked Sir Keir Starmer for his judgement, over the growing scandal around Lord Mandelson.

His comments follow the SNP Westminster leader reporting Mandelson to the Metropolitan Police earlier today.

He did this after new documents suggested Mandelson - then serving as business secretary - gave paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein advanced notice of a €500bn EU bank bailout in 2010.

Mandelson has been contacted for a comment following the fresh allegations.

Speaking to Jonathan Samuels on Paste BN, he said: "This is a matter of judgement - the prime minister's decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as the ambassador to the United States. 

"This is a matter of weakness. The prime minister's inability to take swift and decisive action, and this is now a matter of trust. Trust from the public in our institutions."

Challenged that the PM says these are all fresh revelations and that Mandelson was sacked in September as soon as he learned of the depth of Mandelson's relationship with Epstein, Flynn responded: "The prime minister knew that Peter Mandelson was pals with Jeffrey Epstein. 

"He knew what Jeffrey Epstein had been convicted of previously, and he still chose to appoint Peter Mandelson as his ambassador."

MPs should sit all night to remove Mandelson from Lords

Asked whether he believes the government is doing enough to remove Mandelson from the Lords, he said: "We could be sitting tonight, all night moving primary legislation to remove Peter Mandelson from the House of Lords. 

"They're choosing not to do that. Instead, they say that there needs to be some sort of reform of the rules in the House of Lords.

"That could take, I don't know, an unknown period of time, weeks, months, even, maybe beyond that."

He suggested ministers "don't want to get into this" because it would open up a way to remove other Labour peers.

"If the government wanted, they could give time to that bill tonight or tomorrow," he added.

"They're choosing not to do that."

The Politics Hub has just begun and can now be watched live in the stream above. 

On tonight's show, Matt Barbet speaks to Labour MP Rachael Maskell about the latest allegations about Peter Mandelson's conduct. 

Plus, Matt also speaks to political historian Sir Anthony Seldon about the way forward, as MPs seek to figure out a way to give Mandelson the boot from the House of Lords. 

The last time this was done was to remove a number of peers during the First World War.

Matt's also joined by panellists Tom Pursglove - a former Tory MP - and Plaid Cymru Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts. 

Of course, we'll bring you the very latest from the show, right here on the Politics Hub.

Lord Mandelson sent Jeffrey Epstein an email saying he "finally got him to go", the day before Gordon Brown resigned as prime minister.

It's part of the latest tranche of documents released by the US Department of Justice. 

The email was sent from Peter Mandelson to the disgraced financier on 10 May 2010.

He does not name the person he is referring to and there has been no confirmation of what the email is about, however it came one day before Brown announced his resignation as Labour Party head and prime minister.

Mandelson, who resigned his Labour Party membership today over his links to Epstein, was business secretary in Brown's cabinet at the time the email was sent.

Epstein replies saying: "I have faith, the value of some chapters in your book should now increase." 

Mandelson then makes reference to secret tunnels linking Number 10 and the Ministry of Defence.

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.