Peter Mandelson released on bail after arrest; peter mandelson questioned over Epstein links
peter mandelson has been released on bail after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office, police said. The former Labour minister and former ambassador to the United States was questioned over accusations he passed sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein.
Timeline of the arrest
On Monday afternoon Mandelson was driven away in an unmarked police car shortly after plainclothes officers escorted him from his London home for questioning. Detectives led him to a waiting car without putting him in handcuffs. He was seen returning home in a taxi and letting himself back into his London home at about 2am on Tuesday.
Peter Mandelson at home
After Mandelson was pictured leaving his north London home on Monday, a police spokesperson 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 Mo
Allegations and denial
The Metropolitan police have been investigating allegations that Mandelson leaked Downing Street emails and market-sensitive information to the disgraced US financier during his time as business secretary. Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing. A Metropolitan police statement said he had been released on bail pending further investigation.
Political fallout and timing
His arrest, coming days before a crucial byelection in Gorton and Denton, Greater Manchester, has been framed by critics as a reminder of what they call one of Keir Starmer’s worst lapses of judgment in office: the decision to appoint Mandelson to Washington. The prime minister apologised to Epstein’s victims for choosing Mandelson, saying the former Labour peer had lied about the extent of his relationship with the late sex offender and was sacked when that became known. Starmer has faced deep anger from his own MPs over the decision, which pushed his authority over his party to the brink and led to the departure of his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.
Related inquiries and document releases
Mandelson’s arrest took place days after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor became the first royal family member to be taken into police custody in modern times. Emails appeared to show the former prince sharing confidential information with Epstein while working as a British trade envoy. Thames Valley police, who are investigating Mountbatten-Windsor, said searches of Royal Lodge in Windsor, where the king’s brother used to live, had continued into a fifth day. A search of his current home on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk concluded on Thursday.
Downing Street has been compelled to release documents linked to Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador in December 2024 to parliament’s intelligence and security committee to ensure maximum transparency about the vetting process and what the government knew about his friendship with Epstein. MPs were told on Monday that the first tranche of tens of thousands of documents would be released in early March, but would not include exchanges between Starmer and Mandelson on his connections to Epstein until the police investigation had been completed.
CPS involvement and legal steps
Metropolitan police officers investigating Mandelson have had discussions with lawyers from the special crime division of the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorises criminal prosecutions in England and Wales. The discussions so far are described as informal, and no formal early investigative advice has been sought or offered. The CPS’s special crime division is also the part of the prosecution service that would consider the misconduct in public office case against Mountbatten-Windsor.
As the inquiry continues, peter mandelson remains on bail while the Metropolitan police and the CPS continue their informal discussions and further investigative steps are taken.
