Lord Mandelson faces criminal inquiry over claims he leaked 'market-sensitive' information to Epstein
In emails released by the US Department of Justice, Mandelson appeared to give insider information to the paedophile financier
Police are reviewing allegations that Lord Mandelson leaked inside information to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein while he was Business Secretary under Gordon Brown.
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Scotland Yard confirmed on Monday that it is looking into reports of misconduct in a public office relating to the peer after the release of the Epstein Files from the US Department of Justice last week.
Included within three million documents released by officials on Friday were emails which appeared to suggest Mandelson had given market-sensitive information to the financier in both 2009 and 2010.
Lord Mandelson also appears to have told Epstein he would lobby his fellow ministers over a proposed tax on bankers' bonuses at the height of the financial crisis in 2009.
A separate email exchange also appeared to show Mandelson confirming an imminent bailout of the euro in 2010, a day before it was formally announced.
In the wake of the revelations, the SNP and Reform UK both reported Mandelson to the police.
On Monday evening, the Metropolitan Police confirmed it has received the reports and was looking into whether they meet the threshold for a criminal investigation.
The force's Commander Ella Marriott said: “We are aware of the further release of millions of court documents in relation to Jeffrey Epstein by the United States Department of Justice.
“Following this release and subsequent media reporting, the Met has received a number of reports relating to alleged misconduct in public office. The reports will all be reviewed to determine if they meet the criminal threshold for investigation.
"As with any matter, if new and relevant information is brought to our attention, we will assess it, and investigate as appropriate."
According to the files, Epstein is also said to have paid for an osteopathy course for Lord Mandelson’s husband.
Amid the row, the Prime Minister has stated his belief that Mandelson should resign from the House of Lords after exiting the Labour Party over the weekend.
Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister believes that Peter Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords or use the title. However, the Prime Minister does not have the power to remove it.”
Sir Keir urged the Lords to work with the Government to modernise disciplinary procedures to make it easier to remove disgraced peers.
Labour backbencher Natalie Fleet echoed these calls, calling on Lord Mandelson to appear before the US Congress and tell authorities what he knows about Epstein, while also asking men to be vigilant about sexual abuse which may be going on around them.
Ms Fleet, who has previously revealed she was a victim of a grooming gang, said: "If you are there when you think some dodgy stuff is happening in the pub this weekend, call it out.
"If there is stuff that you saw and you're not sure about that happened all these years later, or you're sure there's nothing to say, go and tell the police that we need men to be our allies and call this out.
"And I would like Peter Mandelson to go further, I would like him to leave the Lords as well."
Under the current arrangements, a new law would be required to remove a peerage, something that last happened more than 100 years ago, to deal with members of the nobility who sided with the Germans in the First World War.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister has also asked Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald to review “all available information regarding Peter Mandelson’s contacts with Jeffrey Epstein during his period as a Government minister”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also told LBC the Epstein files show "potential evidence of corruption in public office", as she threw her support behind a criminal investigation into the former US Ambassador.
"If there is evidence of potential criminal activity, then of course, yes, we need to have due process.
"But that should not be an excuse for the Prime Minister to say it's got nothing to do with him. It does. He appointed this man despite several warnings, multiple people raising red flags," she said.
A statement released by Lord Mandelson over this weekend read: “I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, and I feel regretful and sorry about this.
“Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.
“While doing this, I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.
“I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.
“I have dedicated my life to the values and success of the Labour Party and in taking my decision, I believe I am acting in its best interests.”