Prominent Labour figure Lord Peter Mandelson could be hit with a financial penalty following an embarrassing late-night incident where he was photographed urinating in public in an upscale London neighbourhood.
The Notting Hill Incident
The former US Ambassador was caught short last Wednesday evening after a social visit to the £10 million Notting Hill home of former Tory chancellor George Osborne. Lord Mandelson had arrived at the townhouse three hours earlier, carrying a bottle of premium Chilean wine.
After leaving the residence just before 11pm, the Labour peer walked a short distance to a street corner while waiting for an Uber. Pictures show him furtively undoing his zip and urinating against a brick garden wall belonging to Mr Osborne's neighbour, recruitment tycoon James Reed.
An eyewitness reported that Mandelson appeared 'worse for wear' during the incident and managed to splash his expensive trainers. The tenant of a nearby flat expressed disappointment, noting: 'We have to put up with this sort of revolting behaviour during the Notting Hill Carnival. It's a shame to see that people still feel entitled to urinate in the street here three months later.'
Council Investigation Underway
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council has confirmed it is investigating whether an offence was committed. Councillor Johnny Thalassites, the council's lead member for environment and planning, issued a statement regarding the incident.
'We are aware of images appearing to show a prominent politician caught short on one of our streets and are investigating whether an offence has been committed,' Thalassites said. 'While we appreciate that nature can call at the most inconvenient moments, we are proud of our borough's clean streets and amazing spaces and it is unacceptable for anyone to treat them as a urinal.'
Public urination is an offence under the Public Order Act 1986 and can be dealt with through a warning, fixed penalty notice, or prosecution. The severity often depends on factors such as the number of people in proximity at the time.
Political Fallout and Apology
James Reed, the owner of the wall and a critic of Labour's economic policies, told the Daily Mail: 'I'm surprised that whichever of my neighbours he happened to be visiting didn't offer him a toilet. It doesn't seem very diplomatic.'
Lord Mandelson later offered his 'profuse apologies' for the incident, explaining: 'I was stood up by two Uber drivers and kept waiting in the street for half an hour and was bursting. There is no disguising my embarrassment.'
This incident adds to recent controversies for the Labour peer, who lost his ambassadorial role in Washington in September over his links to convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Emails revealed Epstein had remained friends with Mandelson until late 2016, eight years after pleading guilty to child sex offences.
This marks the third time Mandelson has been dismissed from a significant position during his political career, having previously been a key ally of Tony Blair during the New Labour years.
