LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
British police on Monday arrested Peter Mandelson, the 72‑year‑old former United Kingdom ambassador to the United States and once senior Labour Party figure, as part of a widening criminal investigation into his ties with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, authorities confirmed.
Officers from London’s Metropolitan Police Service detained Mandelson on suspicion of misconduct in public office at an address in Camden, north London, and took him to a local police station for questioning. Under normal British police practice, his name was not initially released in the official statement, but he has since been publicly identified as the arrested individual.
The arrest comes amid a sprawling probe sparked by the recent release of millions of pages of internal documents from the U.S. Department of Justice part of what has been dubbed the “Epstein files” that have unearthed previously undisclosed communications and connections between Mandelson and Epstein dating back more than a decade.
According to investigators, the trove of emails and messages includes material suggesting Mandelson may have shared sensitive government information with Epstein while serving in senior roles, notably during his tenure as Business Secretary in the government of then‑Prime Minister Gordon Brown around 2009. Some exchanges reportedly discussed market‑sensitive matters, policy assessments, and internal government deliberations.
Police have stressed that Mandelson is not facing any allegations of sexual misconduct; the focus remains on possible abuses of public office and the unlawful disclosure of confidential information. Search warrants were executed earlier this month at two of his residences one in north London and another in Wiltshire as officers gathered evidence for the ongoing inquiry.
The investigation and arrest mark a dramatic development in the broader scandal that has already claimed another high‑profile figure: Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor, the younger brother of King Charles III, who was arrested earlier this month in a related probe and later released pending further inquiry.
Mandelson’s diplomatic appointment in December 2024 by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had already stirred controversy, given known past associations with Epstein after the financier’s 2008 conviction. Starmer dismissed Mandelson from his ambassadorial post in September 2025 when earlier documents revealed the extent of their ongoing friendship, and has since apologised to Epstein’s victims, acknowledging that appointing him was a mistake.
In the weeks leading up to his arrest, Mandelson resigned from both the Labour Party and the House of Lords, where he had served for many years. Despite stepping down from these positions, he retains the formal title of Lord, a status that cannot be removed without an Act of Parliament.
The unfolding case has sent ripples through British politics, raising questions about vetting processes for senior appointments, the handling of sensitive government information, and the broader repercussions of the Epstein files on public life. The Metropolitan Police investigation continues as authorities review the evidence and assess potential charges, while the political fallout puts added pressure on the UK government to provide transparency and accountability.
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