Peter Mandelson arrest – latest: Ex-Labour peer held over probe into Jeffrey Epstein ties

Lord Peter Mandelson is a former Labor Party member and cabinet minister who is considered one of the key architects of New Labour.

He previously served as MP for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004; here he was appointed trade secretary and Northern Ireland secretary, but resigned twice over separate controversies.

Lord Mandelson briefly served as US ambassador until he was sacked by Sir Keir Starmer in September 2025 following scrutiny of his ties to Epstein. Lord Mandelson has since resigned from the Labor Party and the House of Lords.

Lord Mandelson refused to recall the alleged payments and apologized to Epstein’s victims, saying he was wrong to continue his relationship with the financier after his conviction.

Written by Kate Devlin, Whitehall Editor

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused MPs of trying to use parliamentary investigations into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to distract former Labor member Peter Mandelson.

Both men were arrested following the release of the Epstein files.

MPs on the Business and Trade Committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss an investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor’s time as trade envoy.

asked in an interview Independent If MPs must investigate, Badenoch said it was “right that everything should be examined” but added “I think the police are the right people to carry out this investigation.”

He added: “A lot of MPs are jumping on this issue because it distracts from the much more important parliamentary Peter Mandelson story.

“I think what the King said is true. The law must take its course.”

“And if you can compare the King’s behavior to something that affects his family, his own brother, it’s complete transparency. On the government side, he’s hiding documents (and) saying what a great guy Peter Madelson is, as the prime minister did when I was first confronted with these allegations six months ago.”

A shadow cabinet minister said the government acted with “the urgency of a tired sloth on bank holiday Monday” in releasing documents about Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador.

The comments came just minutes before Lord Mandelson was arrested.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Mike Wood said: “The police cannot give orders to this House, but the government is coy about the legal basis for keeping documents.

“Today we need a firm determination; when the police are done, every suppressed page must be published, no excuses, no secret corrections.”

He added: “Careful work should not cover up managed delay.

“It’s time for the government to stop treating parliament as an annoying interruption to its programmes, to stop giving the impression that deciding who has its back is their priority, and to start providing some real answers so we can start to get to the bottom of this dark issue.”

Darren Jones, the Prime Minister’s chief secretary, said the government was trying to manage a criminal investigation being carried out by the Metropolitan Police and “I’m sure the House would not want us inadvertently interfering in that process.”

Police searched two homes linked to Lord Peter Mandelson on February 5 following allegations that he leaked sensitive government documents to Jeffrey Epstein.

At the time, the Metropolitan Police said officers from its central specialist crime squad executed two arrest warrants in Camden, North London and Wiltshire in connection with an ongoing investigation into misconduct in public office offences.

The force said the alleged offenses involved a 72-year-old man and confirmed he had not been arrested.

Lord Peter Mandelson’s arrest comes as the prime minister visits Gorton and Denton ahead of this week’s crucial by-elections.

Sir Keir Starmer was in the 2024 Labor constituency to campaign as his party fights to retain the seat.

Sir Keir warned potential Green supporters they could split the anti-Reform vote and allow the party’s candidate, UK News presenter Matt Goodwin, into parliament.

The Prime Minister said: “A vote for the Green Party in this by-election is actually a vote for Reform.

“Last year’s by-election in Runcorn saw Labor lose by just a handful of votes, we had a Reform MP. We must not let this happen again.”

Sir Keir warned potential Green supporters they could split the anti-Reform vote and allow the party’s candidate, UK News presenter Matt Goodwin, into Parliament.

The Prime Minister said: “A vote for the Green Party in this by-election is actually a vote for Reform.

“Last year’s by-election in Runcorn saw Labor lose by just a handful of votes, we had a Reform MP. We must not let this happen again.”

Police confirmed this afternoon that former US ambassador Lord Peter Mandelson had been arrested at his home in Camden.

The police statement said the former Labor Party staffer was being questioned on suspicion of misconduct in a public office.

But what does this crime mean? Independent takes a look below:

Lord Peter Mandelson has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Officers 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 taken to London police station for questioning.

“This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas.”

Footage shown by broadcasters showed a plainclothes police officer taking Lord Mandelson out of the house.

Lord Mandelson then gets into the left rear seat of a waiting unmarked Ford Focus police car.

The male police officer then sits in the right rear passenger seat.

A female police officer gets into the front seat of the car before it drives away.