Former UK Ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson has been arrested in London “on suspicion of misconduct in public office”.
Police launched an investigation into Mandelson earlier this month, after the U.S. Department of Justice released 3 million files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The files include emails between, and images of, Mandelson and Epstein.
A spokesperson for Mandelson previously said he was not aware of “the truth” about Epstein until after his 2019 death.
Mandelson
Mandelson has been a senior figure in the UK Labour Party for decades, including serving in the Cabinet in the 2000s.
Media outlets reported Mandelson’s links to Epstein on several occasions between 2019 and 2024.
This included images of Epstein with Mandelson before and after he was convicted of child sex offences in 2008.
Starmer appointed him as the UK’s Ambassador to the U.S. in February 2025.
In September 2025, correspondence between Mandelson and Epstein became public.
First, a U.S. House committee, which was investigating the Epstein case, released a “birthday book” made for Epstein’s 50th birthday. The existence of the book had been reported by The Wall Street Journal earlier in the year.
It included a 10-page message from Mandelson to his “best pal” Epstein.
Then, U.S. financial outlet Bloomberg published emails between Mandelson and Epstein from before, during and after Epstein’s prison sentence for sex trafficking, which began in June 2008.
Mandelson told Epstein: “I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened.”
Following these publications, the UK Government removed Mandelson from his position.
It said the emails showed “the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.”
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Arrest
On Monday afternoon (local time), the London Metropolitan Police (the Met) said it had arrested a man “on suspicion of misconduct in public office.” UK media widely reported it is Mandelson.
Police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on the same basis on Thursday (local time).
The Met investigation into Mandelson began on 3 February after the DOJ’s final release of Epstein files.
The Met said it had received “reports into alleged misconduct in public office,” including from the UK Government.
In 2009, Mandelson was Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
That year, he forwarded an email to Epstein addressed to then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown, discussing economic policy measures.
He wrote: “interesting note that’s gone to the PM.”
Also in 2009, Epstein requested that Mandelson change a recently-introduced bankers’ bonus tax.
Mandelson said he was “trying hard to amend as I explained to Jes last night,” likely referring to Jes Staley, then-CEO of investment bank J.P. Morgan.
Staley was repeatedly named in the Epstein files. Epstein was a major client of the bank.
Fallout
When the Met launched its investigation, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney resigned from his position, taking “full responsibility” for Mandelson’s appointment.
The next day, Starmer’s Head of Communications Tim Allan also stood down, The Guardian reported.
Calls for Starmer to resign were made by opposition and Labour Party MPs, however, the BBC reported Starmer told Labour members he would not stand down.
