The Prime Minister Mandelson clause

The BBC's report that:

"Peers guilty of a criminal offence or rule breach could be kicked out of the Lords, under plans being considered by Justice Secretary Jack Straw."

contains a very interesting line -

"He said he was also looking at legislation to allow peers to resign - at the moment they are members of the House for life and can not step down."

Jack Straw's justification for this is given as:

"If you had simply provision at the moment for peers to resign then I think quite a number of those previously convicted would have resigned, and those who face these allegations may, as often is the case in business, for example, have been placed in a position in due course where they had no alternative but honourably to resign, so that change in itself would make a big difference."

However I wonder if this part of the legislation could also enable the recently ennobled Peter Mandelson to resign from the House of Lords and return to the House of Commons to take up the position he thinks should be his - Prime Minister.