Police must investigate Peter Mandelson after Epstein file revelations – SNP

The Metropolitan Police must investigate whether there is evidence of criminality in the actions of Lord Peter Mandelson, the SNP’s Westminster leader has said.

Stephen Flynn has written to to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley calling for an investigation into potential misconduct in public office.

He said there are “serious allegations” in the Epstein files about sensitive state information being passed between Lord Mandelson and the convicted paedophile.

Mr Flynn said the files “also suggest that Mandelson and his family may also have been in receipt of significant amounts of money from Epstein”.

Mr Flynn said: “The disgraceful revelations about Lord Peter Mandelson’s relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and his actions as a UK Labour government minister, are shocking and must be fully investigated by the UK Government and all appropriate authorities.

“There is no question that Lord Mandelson’s actions were shameful and unethical – the only question is the extent to which his actions breached the ministerial code and the law.

“I have, therefore, reported Peter Mandelson to the Metropolitan Police.”

The Prime Minister has 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”.

Downing Street said Sir Keir believed the former ambassador to the US “should not be a member of the House of Lords or use the title”, but the Prime Minister does not have the power to strip him of his peerage.

Meanwhile, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is facing calls to disclose all his private communications with Lord Mandelson.

Mr Sarwar said people would be “horrified” by information about Lord Mandelson contained in the latest batch of files on paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

He insisted it was “right” Lord Mandelson had left the Labour Party but said it was a matter for “the House of Lords and for the Houses of Parliament” whether he should remain as a member of the Lords.

However, in the wake of Lord Mandelson’s resignation from Labour on Sunday night – a decision he made to prevent “further embarrassment” following the latest revelations about his friendship with Epstein – SNP Westminster deputy leader Pete Wishart challenged Mr Sarwar to come clean over his contacts with the peer.

Mr Wishart told the Scottish Labour leader: “There is no need to wait for the investigation given your deep and sustained friendship with Lord Peter Mandelson.

“It is in interests of the Scottish public and for the integrity of Scottish public office that you disclose all correspondence shared between yourself and Lord Peter Mandelson, including all emails and private messages.”

The SNP MP said this should include a “full minute” of a meeting in April 2025, following which Mr Sarwar was said to have described Lord Mandelson as an “old friend”.

Mr Wishart also demanded information he said Lord Mandelson had given to the Scottish Labour leader in October 2024 should be made public.

The SNP MP told Mr Sarwar: “While Lord Peter Mandelson may be your ‘old friend’, you should not act to protect either him, yourself or the Labour Party any longer.

“It is time to come clean and disclose every last detail of communication to the public.”

His comments came after the Scottish Labour leader accepted “there are still huge questions here that victims will want to see answered” with regards to Lord Mandelson and his links to Epstein, adding that anyone called to give evidence in the US “absolutely should go” and do so.

Documents recently released in the US revealed an email exchange from 2009 in which Lord Mandelson, then the business secretary, appeared to tell Epstein he would lobby ministers about a tax on bankers’ bonuses.

Bank statements from 2003 and 2004 also appeared to show he received payments totalling 75,000 US dollars (£54,735) from the financier, while Epstein is also said to have paid for an osteopathy course for Lord Mandelson’s husband.

In the wake of such revelations, Downing Street said Sir Keir Starmer believes the former ambassador to the US “should not be a member of the House of Lords or use the title”, but the Prime Minister does not have the power to strip him of his peerage.

Mr Sarwar said his understanding “is this would require legislation, rather than a simple political decision”.

Speaking about Lord Mandelson, he was clear: “I think the right decision has been made for him to leave the Labour Party.”