Former peer questioned over alleged leaks during friendship with Jeffrey Epstein

Peter Mandelson has been arrested by detectives investigating claims he committed misconduct in public office during his friendship with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Video footage showed the former British ambassador to the US being driven away in an unmarked police car for questioning shortly after being escorted from his London home by plainclothes officers.

Just after 2 am, the Metropolitan police said Mandelson had been released on bail pending further investigation.

“We are not able to provide further information at this stage to prevent prejudicing the integrity of the investigation,” a police spokesperson said.

The Met has been investigating allegations that he leaked Downing Street emails and market-sensitive information to the disgraced US financier during his time as business secretary. Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing.

His arrest, coming days before a crucial byelection in Gorton and Denton, Greater Manchester, will be an uncomfortable reminder of what critics say is one of Keir Starmer’s worst lapses of judgment in office: his decision to appoint him to Washington.

The prime minister has apologised to Epstein’s victims for choosing Mandelson, saying the former Labour peer had lied about the extent of his relationship with the late sex offender and was sacked when that became known.

Starmer has faced deep anger from his own MPs over the decision, which again pushed his authority over his party to the brink and led to the departure of his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.

Mandelson’s arrest took place days after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor became the first royal family member to be taken into police custody in modern times. Emails appeared to show the former prince sharing confidential information with Epstein while working as a British trade envoy.

Thames Valley police, which is investigating Mountbatten-Windsor, said searches of Royal Lodge in Windsor, where the king’s brother used to live, had continued into a fifth day. A search of his current home on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk concluded on Thursday.

Downing Street has been compelled to release documents linked to Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador in December 2024 to parliament’s intelligence and security committee to ensure maximum transparency about the vetting process and what the government knew about his friendship with Epstein.

MPs were told on Monday that the first tranche of tens of thousands of documents would be released in early March, but would not include exchanges between Starmer and Mandelson on his connections to Epstein until the police investigation had been completed.

Mandelson was led to a waiting car by detectives without being placed in handcuffs.

Metropolitan police officers investigating him have had discussions with lawyers from the special crime division of the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorises criminal prosecutions in England and Wales.

The discussions so far are described as informal, and no formal early investigative advice has been sought or offered.

The CPS’s special crime division is also part of the prosecution service that would consider the misconduct in public office case against Mountbatten-Windsor.

After Mandelson was pictured leaving his north London home on Monday, a police spokesperson said: “Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

“He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday, 23 February and has been taken to a London police station for an interview. This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas.”

A police investigation was opened earlier this month after the release of files related to the late disgraced financier. Mandelson is understood to believe he has not committed any offence.

At the time, Met deputy assistant commissioner Hayley Sewart said: “This will be a complex investigation requiring a significant amount of further evidence-gathering and analysis. It will take some time to do this work comprehensively.