Peter Mandelson, Britain’s short-lived ambassador to the US, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
In a statement to journalists, London’s Metropolitan Police said:
Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday, 23 February and has been taken to a London police station for interview. This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas.
Moments before the Met’s statement, Mandelson was photographed being led out of his house by police. The move comes days after the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, also under suspicion of misconduct in public office. The accusations facing both men surround the alleged leaking of sensitive government information and documents to Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew, who has since been released, was held for 11 hours while the police searched his homes including Royal Lodge. Mandelson will now face a similar experience along with a police interview.
On Friday, our UK political editor Tim Shipman reported from a source in Buckingham Palace that courtiers were “terrified” that Andrew may have leaked sensitive information and secrets during his time in the military.
The concerns around Mandelson, however, will be around any market-sensitive information he may have given Epstein during his time as a business minister. He denies all wrongdoing.
The news piles further pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer who, opponents feel, has not yet given a proper account of how and why Mandelson became Britain’s man in Washington despite everything that was known about his links with Epstein.
The police had asked No.10 and the Cabinet Office not to publish certain documents relating to Mandelson’s communications with members of the government. That had served as a convenient excuse to kick the Conservatives’ humble address into the long grass and shield Starmer from further scrutiny. But with the police investigation picking up pace, the pressure to explain who knew what and when is well and truly back on.
