Mandelson v the Met: what the statement issued after his arrest tells us | UK news
It didn’t take long for Peter Mandelson to go public. He hit back just hours after he was photographed returning home following his arrest on Tuesday. His lawyers released a brief statement that said many things and attempted to make a punch, actually a few.
He showed that he intends to do what the veteran of many past political controversies has always done: solve the problem.
Here we explain what the statement says and why it matters.
Peter Mandelson was arrested yesterday despite an agreement to voluntarily attend an interview with police next month.
The first thing to note is that this statement came from his lawyers at London firm Mishcon de Reya, widely regarded as the best and most expensive firm in the industry.
The firm advises on “the full spectrum of reputation protection and crisis management issues.” He acted on behalf of politicians and others by preparing them to appear before select committees and public inquiries.
The first line sets the scene. Mandelson had agreed to voluntarily meet with police next month.
The arrest was made due to a false allegation that he was planning to leave the country and take up permanent residence abroad. There is absolutely no truth to such a suggestion.
These are extremely aggressive lines and true to form when it comes to both Mishcon and Mandelson’s modus operandi.
Do you remember the defiant speech he made after defending his seat of Hartlepool at the 2001 general election? After resigning from the government for the second time, he said, “I am a fighter, I am not a quitter.”
We asked the MPS about the evidence relied on to justify the arrest.
This is a classic legal judo maneuver that boldly attempts to shift the focus back to the Metropolitan Police Department. The ball is back in the court of the detectives, who are trying to walk a politically tortuous line between pursuing the investigation properly and ensuring that no hostages are left to chance, which could upset a future case.
“Give us the evidence you have,” Mishcon and Mandelson demand as the cameras pan from the former politician’s home to Scotland Yard.
Peter Mandelson’s top priority is to cooperate with the police investigation and clear his name, as he has throughout this process.
This suggests that Mandelson sees himself as a law-abiding citizen who will of course comply with his responsibilities.
It also makes clear that it will fight serious allegations. He has repeatedly said that he received no financial gain. Have his lawyers identified possible weaknesses in possible attempts to charge or prosecute him? Misconduct in public office is a particularly serious crime that is difficult to prove.
The former MP is understood to have sent a message to friends early on Tuesday, hours after he was released from police custody, staying true to the format of the New Labor briefing that Mandelson pioneered in the 1990s. This was in line with the public statement and was intended to continue shaping the public narrative.
The message stated that the idea that he was “about to escape to the British Virgin Islands” was “complete fiction”.
