London police have arrested Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the United States, on suspicion of “abuse of power” for passing confidential government information to the late American businessman Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes.
London Police announced in a statement today (Monday): Police have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in a public office.
Mr. Mandelson, 72, was fired from his post last September after his close friendship with Mr. Epstein began.
Earlier this month, police launched a criminal investigation into the Mandelson case after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government alerted police to communications between the former ambassador and convicted sex offender Epstein.
It is worth noting that Morgan McSweeney, the head of the British Prime Minister’s Office, resigned from her post in early February this year amid the escalating controversy over Mandelson’s appointment as British ambassador to the United States.
In a statement, Mr McSweeney said he took “full responsibility” for advising Mr Starmer to appoint Mr Mandelson, believing the decision had “undermined trust in the Labor Party and politics in general” and stressed that resigning was “the only honorable course” in these circumstances.
Mr McSweeney, who is seen as one of the most prominent architects of Labor’s landslide victory in the 2024 general election, has confirmed his decision to take a temporary break from politics, despite speculation that he would later return to a strategic role within the party.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer believed Mr McSweeney had played a “crucial role in rebuilding Labor and achieving election victory”, praising his role and thanking him for his “service and dedication”.
Following his resignation, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that two of Mr McSweeney’s top aides, Jill Cuthbertson and Vidya Arakisson, would take over as interim Prime Minister.
Bloomberg reported that Starmer last week sought to turn the page on the crisis rocking the government by apologizing for appointing Mandelson to a senior position despite Mandelson’s known links to convicted sex offender Epstein.
Political pressure on Starmer remains in view of the ongoing investigation and the handing over of documents relating to Mandelson to the UK Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee.
