Peter Mandelson should have been kicked out of the Labour party in the Autumn at the same time he was sacked as UK ambassador to the US, a former senior aide to Sir Keir Starmer says.

James Lyons, who until September was director of strategic communications at Downing Street, tells Sky News that “it was a mistake to allow him to remain in the Labour Party back in the autumn”.

“I think it would be much better to take action then to remove him, rather than let him resign this week,” he says.

Lyons left Downing Street in September, shortly before Lord Mandelson was sacked when details about the closeness of his relationship to the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein emerged. 

Lord Mandelson resigned his membership of the Labour party on Sunday evening after Epstein file releases appeared to show a $75,000 payment from Epstein to Lord Mandelson for his husband.

Lyons tells Mornings with Ridge and Frost: “I’m not claiming that this has been perfectly handled. Nothing ever is. But a lot of people are being wise after the fact.”

He points out that while Lord Mandelson was considered risky when he was appointed, the depth of his association with Epstein wasn’t known.

“I think people knew that this was a high risk, high reward strategy, but I don’t think anyone knew quite how risky it was,” he says.