Labour stalwart Lord Peter Mandelson has been apprehended on suspicion of misconduct in public office, as confirmed by the Metropolitan Police. This development follows the initiation of a criminal investigation into the former ambassador to Washington earlier this month. Allegations surfaced that he divulged market-sensitive details to the controversial figure Jeffrey Epstein.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police disclosed today that a 72-year-old individual was taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrest took place at an address in Camden on Monday, February 23, and the individual has been transported to a London police station for questioning. This action followed the execution of search warrants at two locations in the Wiltshire and Camden areas.
Footage from Monday captured Lord Mandelson, who served as the Business Secretary in Gordon Brown’s administration during the financial crisis, being escorted from his residence by plainclothes officers to an unmarked Ford Focus police vehicle.
Earlier this month, No10 announced that the Cabinet Office had forwarded materials to the Metropolitan Police subsequent to a review of the Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice.
In response to Lord Mandelson’s arrest, Minister Jacqui Smith stated on Times Radio, “The police will conduct their necessary procedures and pursue the investigation accordingly, which is paramount for individuals like myself to acknowledge at this juncture.”
The controversy surrounding the veteran Labour figure led to his resignation from the House of Lords earlier this month amid mounting political pressure. Downing Street is also preparing legislation to formally revoke his peerage.
Lord Mandelson was dismissed by Keir Starmer as the UK’s ambassador to the US in October last year due to his association with Epstein. However, the recent disclosure of additional US Epstein files in late January reignited the scandal, prompting calls for Starmer to step down from No10.
The Prime Minister has repeatedly accused his former top diplomat in Washington of providing false information to his team during the vetting process before the appointment.
During a speech in February where he apologized to Epstein’s victims for appointing Mandelson, Starmer remarked, “The available information now indicates that the responses he provided were untruthful. He misrepresented his relationship with Epstein as minimal. When the falsehood was exposed, I terminated his appointment. Such deceit is incompatible with public service.”
No10 has pledged to release potentially tens of thousands of documents related to his appointment, including communications between ministers and senior officials. Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones, informed MPs on Monday that the initial batch of documents will be disclosed “very soon in early March.”
However, Jones clarified that correspondence between Lord Mandelson and No10 would not be included in the first release “due to the Metropolitan Police’s interest in this document.” He assured that the government would make it public as soon as possible.
