The Cabinet Office has formally contacted the Metropolitan Police regarding serious allegations that Lord Mandelson leaked sensitive UK government secrets to the convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. This dramatic development emerged today as Downing Street confirmed that material connected to an extraordinary trove of emails between the peer and Epstein had been 'referred' to Scotland Yard for examination.
Prime Minister 'Appalled' by Revelations
During a tense Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister expressed being 'appalled' by the revelations and described the apparent forwarding of sensitive internal discussions about the 2008 Credit Crunch as 'disgraceful'. He warned ministers that although Lord Mandelson's behaviour was 'gobsmacking', he remained 'not reassured the totality of the information had yet emerged'.
Police Assessment Underway
Scotland Yard has confirmed it is examining allegations that the former Cabinet minister committed misconduct in public office, though authorities have not yet launched a formal criminal investigation. The Metropolitan Police received referrals from both Reform UK and the SNP asking detectives to investigate the peer, who recently quit the Labour Party to avoid causing 'further embarrassment'.
A Government spokesman stated: 'It is rightly for the police to determine whether to investigate and the Government stands ready to provide whatever support and assistance the police need.'
Sensitive Financial Information Shared
The latest tranche of evidence released by US authorities on Friday contains approximately three million documents, with Lord Mandelson mentioned nearly 6,000 times. These appear to show that the peer passed highly sensitive advice given to then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the height of the financial crisis.
The leaked material includes emails with key Downing Street aides and ministers discussing a proposed £20 billion programme of asset sales to shore up the country's finances, along with Labour's tax policy plans. Such information would have been extremely valuable to financial institutions and banks.
Multiple Questionable Disclosures
One document was forwarded by Lord Mandelson to Epstein with the comment: 'Interesting note that's gone to the PM.' Another email saw Lord Mandelson give Epstein advance notice of a €500 billion bailout of the Eurozone, potentially allowing the financier to profit ahead of the deal's formal announcement the following day.
Remarkably, Lord Mandelson also tipped off his friend the night before Gordon Brown resigned from Number 10, while bank statements appear to show Epstein sending the peer tens of thousands of dollars in 2003-2004, though Lord Mandelson has questioned their authenticity.
Political Fallout Intensifies
Sir Keir Starmer has pledged 'support' for a police probe into the alleged leaks and said he would act 'legislatively if necessary' to remove Lord Mandelson from the House of Lords. A law is being drafted that could also strip his title, with 'nothing off the table' according to government sources.
Meanwhile, MPs are increasing pressure on Sir Keir to find a way of stripping Lord Mandelson of his peerage and removing him from the Privy Council that advises the King. Baroness Harman today joined calls for such action, suggesting the Prime Minister could advise the King to stop him from being a privy counsellor.
Mandelson's Defence
In a defiant interview, Lord Mandelson has insisted that nothing in the Epstein files shows he broke the law. He claimed to have been 'too trusting' of Epstein, whom he described as 'muck that you can't get off your shoe… Like dog muck, the smell never goes away'.
The New Labour architect - appointed as US ambassador by the Prime Minister barely a year ago - made clear he has no intention of disappearing from public life, saying: 'Hiding under a rock would be a disproportionate response to a handful of misguided historical emails, which I regret sending.'
Cabinet Office Review
It is understood the Cabinet Office conducted an 'initial assessment' after the latest evidence was released. The original email chains were tracked down, and the government contacted police with information about handling controls.
Downing Street earlier said Sir Keir had asked Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald to conduct 'an urgent review' examining 'all available information regarding Mandelson's contacts with Epstein during his period as a government minister'.
Historical Concerns Resurface
A clearly furious Gordon Brown revealed yesterday that on September 10 last year - the same day Sir Keir said he had 'confidence' in Lord Mandelson as the Epstein scandal resurfaced - he wrote to the Cabinet Secretary calling for an investigation into the peer. After two months, he was told no records could be found, with Mr Brown questioning the 'intensity' of efforts to identify wrongdoing.
The extraordinarily close ties between Lord Mandelson and Epstein - which continued long after Epstein was jailed for sex offences - have been further exposed through the latest document release. The disgraced financier, who committed suicide in prison, also appears to have helped Lord Mandelson land a lucrative job after leaving government and paid £10,000 for his partner Reinaldo to complete an osteopathy course.
As the political storm continues, Sir Keir's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney faces intense scrutiny over his role in championing Lord Mandelson's controversial appointment as US ambassador, while the Metropolitan Police continues its assessment of whether the allegations meet the criminal threshold for investigation.
