US justice department blocking Met police investigation into Mandelson, reports say – UK politics live | Politics

Good morning. Criminal investigation into Peter Mandelson in England It was reported that it was stopped After the US Department of Justice Epstein refused to hand over the evidence in his files.

The documents relate to formerly convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which Scotland Yard believes may contain important evidence related to Mandelson, who served as business secretary and ambassador to the United States. While the Met requested a voluntary statement, the US Department of Justice If he/she insists on applying for Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA), According to the Telegraph, there is a legal back and forth between countries to obtain evidence.

By some estimates, the process could take several months to a year, potentially delaying Scotland Yard’s investigation into Mandelson, who was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Even a direct appeal from Met police commissioner Mark Rowley to US ambassador Warren Stephens and a personal visit to Washington in March failed to move the process forward, the newspaper reported.

Speaking of the Foreign Office document retention, the Cabinet Office’s most senior official, Cat Little, said yesterday: He declined to provide a summary of Mandelson’s security investigation. Speaking at a Commons committee, Little said he should have obtained the document directly from the UK Security Review (UKSV) after Olly Robbins, the then-sacked Foreign Office chief, refused to produce it. You can read more about this story here:

In other news:

• Lawmakers must decide what to do with the assisted dying bill. which will expire before becoming law When the final debate ended in the House of Lords today. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passed the Commons almost a year ago and has stalled in the House of Lords with more than 1,280 amendments made. Supporters of the bill, which would allow terminally ill adults with less than six months to live to seek medical help to end their lives, now fear the bill is doomed to fail.

• The reform asked UK steel bosses to: Prepare an “alternative steel strategy” to rival recent government plans Nigel Farage’s party is under a charm offensive considering gains in Labor’s old heartlands, fueling fears in the industry. The reform seeks to curb growing anger at the government over high commercial energy bills, worsened by the Iran war, that are hurting steel companies and the broader manufacturing sector. The reform proposals have received mixed reactions in the industry.

• Donald Trump threatened to impose sanctions “a big tariff” Unless the UK reduces its digital services tax on US social media companies. The digital services tax, introduced in 2020, imposes a 2% tax on the revenues of many large US tech companies. “We’re looking into this, and we could easily cover that by putting a big tariff on the UK, so they better be careful,” Trump said.

On today’s agenda:

• conservative leader Kemi Badenoch He will hold a rally in Swindon with shadow transport secretary Richard Holden.

• Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey She will attend a tea dance and meet residents of a care home in Wokingham.

• Green Party leader Zack Polanski He’s holding a press conference in Glasgow.