The Metropolitan Police will launch a formal criminal investigation into allegations that Peter Mandelson leaked Downing Street emails and market sensitive information to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Guardian understands.
Documents from Epstein’s files released in recent days show the then-business secretary sent confidential information to the late financier in a string of emails after the financial crisis.
They prompted a furious response from across the political spectrum, including from Gordon Brown, who was prime minister at the time of the alleged breaches. MPs reported Mandelson to Scotland Yard for misconduct in public office.
Mandelson resigned from the House of Lords on Tuesday afternoon.
Keir Starmer, who handed over a document to police, said he was horrified by the leaks reported at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning. He urged officials to legislate to remove Mandelson “as soon as possible.”
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said the Cabinet Office was reviewing all information related to the documents, but an initial review of the Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice on Friday contained market-sensitive information about the 2008 financial collapse and efforts to stabilize the economy.
Brown wrote to the Metropolitan Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, “with information relating to his investigation into Lord Mandelson’s disclosure of market sensitive and confidential government information to Epstein”.
Emails from the UK government, forwarded to Epstein, claimed Mandelson was “trying hard” to change government policy on bankers’ bonuses, shared details of an imminent bailout package for the euro the day before it was announced in 2010, and advised the JPMorgan boss to be “a bit threatening”.
During coalition talks in 2010, Brown finally decided to step down as prime minister, with Mandelson providing a lawyer on his side. Hours before he announced his departure outside No. 10, Mandelson emailed Epstein: “Finally got him to go today.”
MPs told the Guardian that people from Downing Street – including the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney – had been asked before Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador.
The UK’s health secretary, Wes Streeting, said Mandelson’s association with Epstein was “treasonous on many levels”, but he could not see how the Cabinet Office or Starmer could have known about leaking classified information to Epstein.
More details coming soon…
