British police have arrested former cabinet minister Peter Mandelson on suspicion of misconduct in public office because of his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, days after detaining Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on similar grounds.
The Labour insider, who was elevated to the House of Lords after decades of senior roles in public life, was seen being arrested at his London home and taken for questioning by police.
Police confirmed they had begun searching his London home, in Camden in the north of the city, as well as his country property in Wiltshire.
The arrest continues to sharp fall from grace for Lord Mandelson, who was a key figure in the rise of Tony Blair as prime minister in 1997 and was a cabinet minister under Blair and his successor as prime minister, Gordon Brown. He also served as a trade commissioner for the European Union.
While Mandelson’s ties to Epstein were known for years, this did not stop UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointing him as ambassador to the United States in December 2024, in a decision seen as a way to smooth relations with US President Donald Trump.
But more details emerged of Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein in the files released last year by the US Department of Justice, including a message from the Labour figure heaping praise on the disgraced financier in a “birthday book” with personal notes from young girls and business friends.
While that led Starmer to remove Mandelson from the ambassador’s post at the end of last year, the damage continued when Department of Justice released further documents on January 30 this year.
The latest documents included emails between Mandelson and Epstein that showed the Labour insider was sending government policy advice and other information to his friend in the US.
“Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office,” the Metropolitan Police said.
“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.”
In one example of the contact between Mandelson and Epstein, the Labour figure sent his friend an email in June 2009 with a UK government document setting out a potential policy on asset sales.
Mandelson suggested to Epstein that this could lead to land and property sales.
In another example, Mandelson appeared to lobby the UK Treasury on banking policy on issues that he had discussed with Epstein.
Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing.
More to come
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David Crowe is Europe correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.
