Met tells Government releasing Mandelson docs would ‘undermine’ investigation

The Metropolitan Police has told the Government that releasing certain documents related to Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US would “undermine” their investigation into the disgraced peer.

Sir Keir Starmer admitted he knew about Lord Mandelson’s friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein when he appointed him to the role but claimed he “lied repeatedly” about the extent of the relationship.

The Prime Minister agreed to release papers on the appointment as long as they did not prejudice national security or international relations.

In a statement released on Wednesday evening, Met Police Commander Ella Marriott said: “As with any investigation, securing and preserving any potential evidence is vital. For this reason, when approached by the UK Government today with their intent to publish material, we reviewed it immediately and advised that the release of specific documents could undermine our current investigation.

“We therefore asked them not to release certain documents at this time. Going forward as material is made available to us, and if we identify further documents that we believe could prejudice our investigation, we will continue to ask the Government to pause their release until such time as the risk of prejudice no longer exists.

“The integrity of our investigation is paramount to securing justice. We are grateful for their co-operation. We continue to assess all relevant information brought to our attention as part of this investigation.”