Mandelson Released on Bail After Arrest
Lord Peter Mandelson has been released on bail just hours after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, according to the Metropolitan Police.
The former Labour heavyweight, 72, was taken in for questioning on Monday after officers arrived at his home in Camden, north London. He was later seen returning to the property at around 2am. Police said he had been arrested at an address in Camden and taken to a London station to be interviewed.
What is Mandelson being accused of?
The arrest follows search warrants carried out at properties in Wiltshire and Camden. Police confirmed the investigation relates to claims that, while serving as business secretary under the then-prime minister Gordon Brown, Mandelson shared market-sensitive government information with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The allegations emerged after the US Department of Justice released a large batch of documents linked to Epstein. Among them were emails from 2009 that appear to show Mandelson passing along confidential assessments prepared for then-prime minister Gordon Brown. The messages reportedly touched on policy plans, including asset sales, a proposed tax on bankers’ bonuses, and details of a eurozone bailout package shortly before it was made public in 2010.
Mandelson has not spoken publicly in recent weeks about the latest claims. However, he is understood to be denying any criminal wrongdoing and maintains that he did not act for financial gain. He has previously apologised for his association with Epstein.
The Met has been consulting informally with the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime division, though no formal charging decision has been made. Earlier this month, Met deputy assistant commissioner Hayley Sewart said: “This will be a complex investigation requiring a significant amount of further evidence-gathering and analysis. It will take some time to do this work comprehensively.”
Starmer still under fire for Mandelson appointment
The case has added to mounting pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who appointed Mandelson as the ambassador to Washington in December 2024. Mandelson was dismissed from that role in September after further details about his relationship with Epstein came to light.
Starmer has apologised to Epstein’s victims and said that Mandelson had misled him during the vetting process. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said ministers intend to publish the paperwork related to Mandelson’s appointment but must be careful not to interfere with the inquiry. “There is a live investigation and when that happens it would be totally irresponsible to do anything that might put at risk their important work, but yes we are committed to transparency around all of this,” she said.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described the arrest as “the defining moment of Sir Keir's premiership,” adding: “Watching the man who he appointed to the highest position in our diplomatic service getting arrested by police is an image which I think is going to stay with us for many, many years to come.”
Meanwhile, the family of the late Virginia Giuffre, who accused former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of sexual abuse, said they “commend the British authorities for taking meaningful action and treating the Epstein files with the urgency they demand”. In a separate statement, they added: “The contrast with the continued inaction in the United States is undeniable. Survivors deserve transparency, swift investigation, and real justice, no matter who is implicated.” Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied wrongdoing and was recently arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and released under investigation.
Neither Mandelson or Mountbatten-Windsor have been arrested on a crime of a sexual nature.
The offence of misconduct in public office is considered difficult to prosecute. Under guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service, it involves a serious and deliberate abuse of public power without reasonable excuse.
Police say the investigation is ongoing.
