MPs from both the Conservatives and Labour have called for Lord Mandelson to be sacked after documents emerged revealing his close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
US ambassador Lord Mandelson described disgraced Epstein as his "best pal", and has now suggested in an interview with Harry Cole Saves the West that more "embarrassing" exchanges are likely to emerge, with The Sun reporting he sent supportive messages to Epstein in 2008 while he was facing criminal charges.
It has led to the Conservatives and some Labour MPs calling on Sir Keir Starmer to take action and sack Lord Mandelson - something the prime minister is not inclined to do.
Speaking to the BBC, Lord Mandelson said: "I relied on assurances of his innocence that turned out later to be horrendously false.
"His lawyers claimed that it was a shake down of him, a criminal conspiracy. I foolishly relied on their word which I regret to this day."
At PMQs on Wednesday, Starmer said Lord Mandelson had "repeatedly expressed his deep regret" over his relationship with Epstein.
But Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch insisted Lord Mandelson's position was now "untenable", and that he "needs to be fired now".