Police Scrutinise Fresh Epstein Allegations Involving Lord Mandelson
Police are currently reviewing a series of reports concerning alleged misconduct in a public office, following accusations that Lord Peter Mandelson leaked sensitive government information to the convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. This development arises from newly released emails that appear to document conversations between the pair during Mandelson's tenure as business secretary and de-facto deputy prime minister in 2009 under Gordon Brown's administration.
Emails Prompt Calls for Investigation and Resignation
The emails, part of a recent tranche released by the US Justice Department, have ignited demands for a formal police inquiry. Sir Keir Starmer has publicly urged the former Labour cabinet minister to resign from the House of Lords. In response, Lord Mandelson has not directly addressed the latest claims, but in a pre-published interview with The Times, he expressed regret over what he termed a "handful of misguided historical emails" and described Epstein as "muck that you can't get off your shoe".
Details of the Alleged Leaks and Financial Ties
One email exchange appears to show Mandelson providing Epstein with advance notice of a €500 billion EU bank bailout in 2010, a deal approved the following day during the Eurozone crisis, though the UK did not contribute. Other communications suggest Mandelson attempted to influence government policy on bankers' bonuses at Epstein's request, months after the financier had paid tens of thousands of pounds for an osteopathy course for Mandelson's husband. Additionally, bank statements from 2003-2004 indicate payments totalling $75,000 from Epstein to Mandelson, which he denies recalling.
Political Fallout and Peerage Pressure
Downing Street has directed Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald to urgently review all available information on contacts between Mandelson and Epstein. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has stated that Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords or use his title, though stripping a peerage requires parliamentary legislation, a process the government aims to modernise. Opposition parties, including the SNP, Lib Dems, and Plaid Cymru, have called for a police investigation into potential misconduct.
Broader Implications and Mandelson's Defence
Lord Mandelson, who resigned from the Labour Party and was sacked as ambassador to Washington last year over his Epstein links, insists in interviews that he had "no exposure to the criminal aspects" of Epstein's life and claims the allegations do not indicate wrongdoing. He acknowledges a "lapse in judgement" regarding the osteopathy course but dismisses any influence on policy as "risible". As police assess the criminal threshold, this case underscores ongoing scrutiny of historical ties between political figures and disgraced financiers.
