Lord Mandelson says he has resigned his membership of the Labour Party as he does not want to "cause further embarrassment" by his links to the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The former cabinet minister was sacked as US ambassador last year because of his past connections to Epstein, appeared in the latest release of files by the US Department of Justice on Friday.
Documents suggest Epstein made $75,000 (£55,000) in payments to Lord Mandelson in three separate $25,000 transactions in 2003 and 2004.
In his letter to Labour's general secretary, Lord Mandelson said: "I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this."
He added: "Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.
