- Starmer government hands documents on Mandelson to police.
- Former British envoy to the United States is accused of leaking market-sensitive information.
- Mandelson faces possible criminal charges after US release of emails.
British police on Tuesday launched an investigation into Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the United States, for alleged misconduct in public office, following accusations he leaked market-sensitive information to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement that the investigation followed the receipt of reports of misconduct in public office, including a referral to the British government.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government handed documents to police to investigate whether Mandelson leaked information to Epstein during the financial crash.
Starmer told his ministers on Tuesday that Mandelson’s alleged leaks to Epstein were “shameful”. Hours later, Mandelson announced he would step down from Parliament’s upper house, the House of Lords.
“The Met will continue to assess all relevant information brought to our attention as part of this investigation and will make no further comment at this time,” Police Commander Ella Marriott said.
Separately, Thames Valley Police said in a statement that they were investigating a new complaint against the former Prince Andrew.
Mandelson, a major player in the Labor governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown more than two decades ago, could face criminal charges after emails released by the United States as part of the Epstein investigation suggested he leaked confidential government documents to the financier.
The Times newspaper, which was first to report on the police investigation, said officers were expected to question Mandelson and take statements from senior Labor figures, including former Prime Minister Brown.
Following the announcement of the investigation into Mandelson, a government spokesperson said it was “ready to provide whatever support and assistance the police require”.
The emails suggest that in 2009, Mandelson sent Epstein a memo written for Brown about possible U.K. asset sales and tax changes, and that in 2010, he warned Epstein of a 500 billion euro ($590 billion) bailout by the European Union.
Mandelson, 72, was removed from his post as ambassador in September, seven months after his appointment, after documents emerged showing he had remained close to Epstein much longer than he had previously admitted.
In one message, he appeared to tell Epstein that his previous conviction, for procuring a child for prostitution, was wrong and that he should fight for early release.
On Tuesday, Starmer told his cabinet that he was not reassured that all of the information had yet been revealed, according to his spokesperson.
His comments mark his strongest condemnation yet of the man he appointed ambassador to Washington last year despite his known association with Epstein, who committed suicide in prison in 2019.
“The Prime Minister said he was dismayed by the information that emerged this weekend in the Epstein files,” his spokesperson said.
On Sunday evening, Mandelson resigned from the Labor Party to avoid “further embarrassment”, after the re-publication of millions of documents revealing details of her closeness to Epstein, including suggestions of payments to Mandelson and her husband.
The scandal sparked concerns over Starmer’s decision to appoint Mandelson as ambassador instead of a career diplomat, a move advocated by his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.
Labor lawmaker Clive Efford, speaking outside Parliament on Monday, said “the key question here is who advised the Prime Minister?”
Mandelson did not respond to requests regarding these allegations. A spokesperson said, however, that Mandelson had no recollection of financial payments, totaling $75,000, from Epstein, as other emails and media reports suggest.
In an interview with The Times late last month and published Tuesday, Mandelson said Epstein had been a “master manipulator.” He added: “I’ve had a lot of bad luck, no doubt partly my own fault.”
Starmer, seeking to take the lead after some of his lawmakers said Downing Street’s initial response over the weekend was not strong enough, ordered an investigation into Mandelson’s links to Epstein during Brown’s government.
Brown, however, beat him to the punch, saying he asked officials to look into the matter in September but was told they didn’t uncover any departmental documents.
The former prime minister said Monday that after the “shocking new information” was revealed in Epstein’s latest round of documents, he had called for “a broader and more intensive investigation.”
Starmer also called for former Prince Andrew to testify before a US Congressional committee, following new revelations about his links to Epstein.
Asked about the situation at a meeting in Dubai on Tuesday, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s younger brother Prince Edward said: “It’s really important to always remember the victims,” echoing previous statements from King Charles and Queen Camilla.
A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said police were aware of allegations that a woman was taken to an address in Windsor, where the former prince resides, for sexual purposes in 2010.
The woman’s lawyer told the BBC at the weekend that the woman, who is not British, was in her 20s at the time and was allegedly sent to Britain by Epstein for a sexual relationship with Mountbatten-Windsor. He has always denied any wrongdoing.
“We are evaluating information in accordance with our established procedures,” the police spokesperson said, adding that police take any reports of sexual crimes extremely seriously.
A review does not necessarily lead to an investigation.
