Starmer hands dossier on Peter Mandelson’s Epstein emails over to police

The revelation came as part of the latest round of Epstein File releases, which also included emails claiming Epstein had sent Mandelson's husband tens of thousands of pounds.

The emails appear to show Mandelson telling Epstein he would lobby his fellow ministers over a proposed tax on bankers' bonuses at the height of the financial crisis in 2009.

Speaking today, the Prime Minister said the former Labour Peer had "let the country down."

Read more: Peter Mandelson has left the Labour party, but the questions for Starmer are just beginning, writes Natasha Clark

He added that he is asking his Government to move "at pace" to remove Mandelson from the House of Lords.

The Prime Minister told his Cabinet on Tuesday that the alleged transmission of emails of highly sensitive government business was “disgraceful” amid accusations that the peer leaked information to the paedophile financier.

In a readout of Cabinet on Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Sir Keir opened the meeting by addressing “recent developments relating to Peter Mandelson.”

“The Prime Minister said he was appalled by the information that had emerged over the weekend in the Epstein files,” he said.

“He said the alleged passing-on of emails of highly sensitive Government business was disgraceful, adding that he was not reassured that the totality of information had yet emerged.

“The Prime Minister told cabinet that Peter Mandelson should no longer be a member of the House of Lords or use the title, and said he had asked the Cabinet Secretary to review all available information regarding Mandelson’s contact with Jeffrey Epstein during his time serving as a government minister.

“He said he’d made it clear the Government would cooperate with the police in any inquiries they carried out, but he said the Government had to press and go further, working at speed in the Lords, including legislatively if necessary.

“He reiterated that there was a need to move at pace."

“An initial review of the documents released in relation to Jeffrey Epstein by the US Department of Justice … found that they contain likely market-sensitive information surrounding the 2008 financial crash and official activities thereafter to stabilise the economy," the Cabinet Office added.

"Only people operating in an official capacity had access to this information and (there were) strict handling conditions to ensure it was not available to anyone who could potentially benefit from it financially.

“It appears these safeguards were compromised. In light of this information the Cabinet Office has referred this material to the police.”

Sir Keir added he was “not reassured that the totality of the information” regarding Mandelson and Epstein's connections had “yet emerged”.

The peer – whose place in the House of Lords is in question – has insisted he had “absolutely no recollection” of receiving payments totalling 75,000 US dollars (around £55,000) from Epstein between 2003 and 2004 as bank details in the files released by the US Department of Justice indicated.

Speaking to the Times, he admitted to a “lapse in judgment” after it emerged Epstein funded an osteopathy course for his husband Reinaldo Avila da Silva in 2009 at the time the government was dealing with the global financial crisis.

“In retrospect, it was clearly a lapse in our collective judgment for Reinaldo to accept this offer. At the time it was not a consequential decision,” he said.

He rejected the suggestion that this left him open to bribery claims, with Epstein lobbying him to change banker bonus rules.

“There was non-stop discussion from the entire industry about reforming the banks and how to strike the right balance in regulation,” Mandelson said.

He added: “The idea that giving Reinaldo an osteopath bursary is going to sway mine or anyone else’s views about banking policy is risible.”

Mandelson's links to the sex trafficker have become even clearer in recent days, with dozens of documents released by the US Justice Department suggesting they were in regular contact.

No 10 said officials are drafting legislation that allows Peter Mandelson’s peerage to be removed “as quickly as possible”.

The move could lead to a new law being passed within weeks to remove Lord Mandelson from the House of Lords.

Former Prime Minister Gordon has written to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley with “information relevant to his investigation of Lord Mandelson’s disclosure of market sensitive and confidential Government information” to Jeffrey Epstein.

In a statement to the Press Association, Mr Brown said: “I have today written to the Met Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley with information relevant to his investigation of Lord Mandelson’s disclosure of market sensitive and confidential Government information to the American financier, Jeffrey Epstein, an inexcusable and unpatriotic act at a time when the whole government and country were attempting to address the global financial crisis that was damaging so many livelihoods.

“I have sent Sir Mark correspondence, exchanged between myself and the Cabinet Secretary last year, and I have also passed over information arising from it that may be important in his current investigation.

“I have included the letter I sent in September 2025 asking the Cabinet Secretary to investigate the veracity of information contained in the Epstein papers regarding the sale of assets arising from the banking collapse and communications about them between Lord Mandelson and Mr Epstein.

“I have also included the November 2026 response from the Cabinet Secretary who said about this that ‘no records of information or correspondence from Lord Mandelson’s mailbox’ could be found.

“Having drawn their attention to relevant evidence, the matter now rests in the hands of the police.”

Duncan Hames, Director of Policy at Transparency International UK, told LBC News this latest scandal will reinforce the nation's distrust of politicians.

"This whole saga will just reinforce concerns that the public have," he said.

"That those with money also have privileged access to power and use that in their own interests."