Lord Peter Mandelson arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office

Lord Peter Mandelson has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The Metropolitan Police has confirmed a 72-year-old - believed to be the Labour peer - was taken to a London police station for interview on Monday (February 23).

The former minister has been accused of passing sensitive information on to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein during his time as business secretary.

The arrest comes after two of his properties were searched by police in connection with the allegations, which surfaced following the US Department of Justice’s document dump related to Epstein last month. It follows days after the former Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was also arrested on suspicion of the same offence.

As part of the Epstein files, emails from 2009 appeared to show Lord Mandelson pass on an assessment by Gordon Brown’s adviser of potential policy measures including an “asset sales plan”, as well as an apparent discussion of a tax on bankers’ bonuses and confirmation of an imminent bailout package for the Euro, the day before it was announced in 2010.

In a statement confirming the arrest, the Met 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, February 23, and has been taken to a London police station for interview. This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas.”

It is understood the Crown Prosecution Service are yet to offer any early investigative advice in relation to the allegations against Lord Mandelson.

The Cabinet Office previously referred material to police in connection with the probe into Lord Mandelson after an initial review of the Epstein files suggested “safeguards were compromised”.

Footage shown by broadcasters showed a plain-clothed police officer leading Lord Mandelson out of a house before leaving the scene in an unmarked Ford Focus police car.

Before the arrest was announced by police, MPs were told the first tranche of documents related to Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador is expected to be released “very shortly, in early March”. Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones, said some of the correspondence between Downing Street and the peer will be delayed “because of the Metropolitan Police interest”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously said the files will prove Lord Mandelson lied during the vetting process before taking on the ambassador role.

On Thursday (February 19), Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, was arrested and interviewed on suspicion of misconduct in public office following revelations in the Epstein files. The dramatic move came after he was previously stripped of his royal titles - including of Duke of York and of Prince - following outcry over the documents.