Police search properties linked to Mandelson over Epstein investigation
54 minutes agoRichard WheelerPolitical reporter
Getty ImagesThe Metropolitan Police have said they are carrying out searches at properties linked to Peter Mandelson in Wiltshire and north London as part of their investigation over allegations of misconduct in public office.
The police launched an investigation into the ex-Labour minister on Tuesday after suggestions he passed on market-sensitive government information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement, the force said: “He has not been arrested and enquiries are ongoing.”
Lord Mandelson has not responded to requests for comment but the BBC understands his position is that he has not acted in any way criminally and that he was not motivated by financial gain.
He has previously expressed his regret for his continued association with Epstein and apologised “unequivocally to the women and the girls who suffered”.
The BBC understands Lord Mandelson, 72, was at his address near Camden when police began the search.
He was then able to arrange for police to enter the Wiltshire address without force.
Officers have been seen entering the Wiltshire property carrying unfolded archive boxes and also investigating outhouses.
Accusations that Lord Mandelson, as a government minister, leaked information to Epstein came after the US Department of Justice released a tranche of documents including emails to and from the US financier.
Messages from 2008 appear to show Lord Mandelson – who was at the time business secretary in Gordon Brown’s government – discussing Treasury plans for a one-off tax on bankers’ bonuses with Epstein.
Two days after Lord Mandelson and Epstein exchanged emails about the bankers’ bonus policy, the documents suggest they had further conversations about the plan.
An email from Epstein asks if “jamie” should call then-Chancellor Alistair Darling “one more time”.
That appears to be a reference to Jamie Dimon, who was chief executive of US banking giant JP Morgan at the time.
Lord Mandelson appears to have replied to Epstein saying he should call the chancellor again, before suggesting he should “mildly threaten” him.
Other emails indicate that Lord Mandelson gave advanced notice to Epstein of a €500bn bailout from the EU to save the Euro.
The UK did not contribute to the bailout, but Mr Darling was present in Brussels for the negotiations.
After the police launched their investigation, a UK government spokesperson said: “The government stands ready to provide whatever support and assistance the police need.”
The offence of misconduct in public office often applies to those in public service roles such as civil servants or police officers and carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
In practice, sentences rarely exceed 10 years imprisonment, according to the Law Commission.
‘Incredible misjudgement’
On Wednesday, in the face of a threatened rebellion by Labour MPs, Downing Street promised to release documents relating to its appointment of Lord Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US.
The BBC has been told that the number of documents, which covers all electronic communications, could be close to 100,000.
The prime minister’s spokesman has said it will make the documents available to Parliament “as soon as possible” but that it was working with the Metropolitan Police who have warned that publishing “certain documents “could undermined its investigation into Lord Mandelson.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer apologised to Epstein’s victims saying he was “sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies”.
Labour MPs have publicly and privately been expressing their anger at the alleged actions of Lord Mandelson but also at the prime minister for having appointed him as the UK’s ambassador.
Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson told BBC Radio Merseyside Sir Keir had handled the situation “appallingly” and he should “consider resigning”.
Brian Leishman, MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, told the BBC Sir Keir had “shown an incredible misjudgement in appointing Lord Mandelson and it goes beyond saying sorry”.
“Has his judgment been good enough for that office? I think the answer is a categorical no,” he added.
Stroud MP Simon Opher said the prime minister “needs to change his advisers in Number 10”.
He suggested chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, who was close to Lord Mandelson, should go over the scandal.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said Sir Keir’s position was “untenable” and called for a vote of no confidence.
On Sunday, Lord Mandelson quit Labour, the party and three days later retired from the House of Lords.