The Metropolitan Police have begun a criminal investigation into Lord Peter Mandelson due to allegations of misconduct involving his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The former Labour minister and former UK ambassador to the US is accused of sharing sensitive market-related government information with Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender, while serving as business secretary under Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2009.
Emails released by the US Department of Justice seem to indicate that Lord Mandelson forwarded confidential information to Epstein during the global financial crisis. While Lord Mandelson has not issued a public response to comment requests, it is reported that he maintains his actions were not criminal and were not financially motivated.
A spokesperson for the government indicated that ministers are willing to cooperate with the police investigation, stating, “The government stands ready to provide whatever support and assistance the police need.”
Lord Mandelson, who was removed from his position as UK ambassador to the US last year, has notified parliamentary officials of his intention to resign from the House of Lords on Wednesday. Although he will cease to be a sitting peer, he will maintain his life peerage unless it is revoked through legislation.
On Monday, the Scottish National Party and Reform UK confirmed that they had referred Lord Mandelson to Scotland Yard. The next day, the UK government announced that it too had formally submitted materials to the police following a review of emails allegedly exchanged between Lord Mandelson and Epstein.
A representative from No 10 mentioned that an initial assessment suggested the documents potentially contained “likely market-sensitive information related to the 2008 financial crash.”
Gordon Brown, who was prime minister from 2007 to 2010, stated he wrote to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to share “relevant” information and had requested the cabinet secretary to investigate the claims in the Epstein documents regarding asset sales after the banking collapse.
Brown condemned the alleged correspondence as “an inexcusable and unpatriotic act at a time when the entire government and nation were striving to manage the global financial crisis.”
In a statement, Metropolitan Police Commander Ella Marriott confirmed that the investigation is focused on a 72-year-old former government minister for offences related to misconduct in public office.
“Following the recent release of significant court documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein, the Met has received multiple reports, including one from the UK government,” she stated. “We will keep reviewing all pertinent information and will refrain from making further comments at this stage.”
Over the weekend, Lord Mandelson expressed regret over his ties with Epstein, unequivocally apologizing to the women and girls who endured suffering.
Downing Street indicated that steps are underway to draft legislation swiftly allowing for the removal of Lord Mandelson’s peerage. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reportedly expressed to Cabinet members that Lord Mandelson had “let his country down,” labeling the alleged actions as “disgraceful.”
Sir Keir also asserted that he was “not reassured that the totality of the information had yet emerged.”
The emails represent part of a larger document release by the US Department of Justice last Friday. Messages from 2008 reportedly show Lord Mandelson in conversations with Epstein regarding a one-time tax on bankers’ bonuses.
Other documents imply that Lord Mandelson informed Epstein ahead of a €500 billion EU bailout aimed at stabilizing the eurozone. Furthermore, allegations suggest Epstein made three payments of $25,000 to Lord Mandelson in 2003 and 2004, payments that Mandelson claims he does not remember and has no records of. In addition, Epstein is alleged to have transferred £10,000 to Lord Mandelson’s partner, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, in 2009.
On Sunday, Lord Mandelson stated he would be resigning from the Labour Party and denied that any payments made to him by Epstein two decades ago were true.
His connection to Epstein was acknowledged at the time of his appointment as US ambassador in 2024, but he was removed from that position last year as more details of their association surfaced. The government is now facing scrutiny regarding its vetting procedures.
Ministers are expected to declare on Wednesday their readiness to release information concerning Lord Mandelson’s appointment. The Conservative Party intends to use a parliamentary method known as a humble address to demand disclosure, though the government has suggested an amendment to allow exemptions for national security and international relations.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch remarked that the prime minister has “a lot of questions to answer,” while Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has called for a public inquiry into how Epstein managed to engage with senior members of the British political system.
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