The Metropolitan Police have formally launched a criminal investigation into allegations that former business secretary Peter Mandelson leaked confidential Downing Street emails and market-sensitive information to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The probe follows the release of documents from the Epstein files, which appear to show Mandelson passing details of internal government discussions to the late financier in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash.
Detectives are expected to interview Mandelson, now 72, and request access to his devices, as well as take witness statements from senior Labour figures including former prime minister Gordon Brown and senior civil servants from the period. They are also likely to ask US authorities for unredacted copies of the emails, amid concerns that Mandelson used a private BT internet email address to correspond with government officials.
Scotland Yard confirmed on Tuesday that Mandelson is being investigated on suspicion of misconduct in public office, an offence carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Met Commander Ella Marriott said: 'Following the further release of millions of court documents in relation to Jeffrey Epstein by the US Department of Justice, the Met received a number of reports into alleged misconduct in public office, including a referral from the UK government. I can confirm that the Metropolitan Police has now launched an investigation into a 72-year-old man, a former government minister, for misconduct in public office offences.'
Mandelson has said he cannot recall receiving $75,000 from Epstein, which appears in bank statements in the document tranche, and has questioned the veracity of some documents. He resigned from the House of Lords on Tuesday afternoon. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Mandelson had 'let his country down', adding: 'For the public to see politicians saying they can't recall receiving significant sums of money or not was just gobsmacking, causing them to lose faith in all politicians and weaken trust still further.'
Starmer has ordered a dossier to be handed to the police and has asked officials to draft legislation to strip Mandelson of his peerage 'as quickly as possible'. The scandal has also raised questions about Starmer's decision to appoint Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington, with his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney facing criticism for pushing the idea. One government official said the internal Whitehall investigation would likely need to rely on the police inquiry to get to the bottom of the matter.
