Peter Mandelson is seen outside his home in north west London. (AP)
Peter Mandelson arrested: Former US ambassador Lord Peter Mandelson has been arrested by the UK police on suspicion of misconduct in public office, a police statement read.
Mandelson had been under investigation over allegations that he shared market-sensitive government information with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while being a minister, BBC reported.
“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 an interview. This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas,” the Metropolitan Police said in the statement.
Mandelson’s arrest comes four days after former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in a separate case on suspicion of a similar offence related to his connection with Epstein. However, the former prince was released after 11 hours in custody, and the British police are still investigating the case.
Who is Peter Mandelson?
Peter Mandelson had been a major figure in Labour for decades, having started working for the party in the 1980s. Mandelson played a vital role in former UK PM Tony Blair’s landslide victory in 1997 and was pivotal in the New Labour movement in Britain.
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Mandelson was appointed as the UK’s ambassador to the US in December 2024 by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Why has Mandelson been arrested in Epstein-linked case?
A BBC report suggests that it had been known, prior to Mandelson’s appointment, that he had a friendship with Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019 after being convicted of procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute by a Florida state court in 2008.
Mandelson was terminated from the role of the UK’s ambassador in September last year after Downing Street confirmed that new developments related to Mandelson and Epstein had emerged. Mandelson resigned from the House of Lords after the US Justice Department released Epstein files.
What UK PM has said about Mandelson?
Earlier this month, the UK PM Starmer had expressed regret for appointing Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington and said that the Labour veteran had created a “litany of deceit” about his ties with Epstein.
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Starmer had said that after receiving credible information, he moved swiftly to strip all titles and roles from a man he accused of “betraying” Britain. The UK PM was asked in the parliament whether vetting carried out prior to Mandelson’s appointment mentioned Epstein, to which Starmer said, “Yes, it did. As a result, various questions were put to him.”
Starmer, talking about Mandelson, told the UK parliament, “I am as angry as anyone about what Mandelson has been up to. The disclosures that have been made this week of him passing sensitive information at the height of the response to the 2008 financial crash is utterly shocking and appalling.”
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