Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics as speculation over Keir Starmer’s future as prime minister continues.

Peter Mandelson is under increasing pressure to return the payoff he received after being sacked as ambassador to the US in September over his friendship with the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The taxpayer-funded payoff he received after being dismissed last year could be as high as £55,000 before tax and deductions, the Sunday Times reported, with the exit payment equivalent to three months’ salary from the Foreign Office.

Although the salary has not been publicly listed by the government, the US ambassador post usually ranks at the highest end in the diplomatic service – between £155,000 and £220,000 per year.

Full details about Mandelson’s payoff will be revealed to parliament after MPs backed a call for disclosure of papers relating to his time in the government.

Sources told the Sunday Times that Mandelson had asked for a much more money than he ended up receiving. We have not been able to independently verify the contents oft the Sunday Times’ report yet.

Allies of Starmer said the peer should give the taxpayer-funded handout back or donate it to a victims’ charity. The Foreign Office said a review had been launched “in light of further information that has now been revealed”.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said:

Peter Mandelson’s civil service employment was terminated in accordance with legal advice and the terms and conditions of his employment.

Normal civil services HR processes were followed. Further information will be provided to parliament as part of the government response to the motion passed last week which is being coordinated by the Cabinet Office.