A Cabinet minister accuses Peter Mandelson of deceiving the prime minister following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Bridget Phillipson defends Sir Keir Starmer’s appointment of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador, noting the prime minister dismissed him immediately upon learning the full details.
Government Plans Document Release Amid Probe
The government intends to publish documents related to Lord Mandelson’s appointment in early March. Officials announced this in the House of Commons on Monday, shortly before police arrested the former Labour minister at his London home.
Investigators accuse Mandelson of sharing information with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted paedophile financier, during his time as business secretary. Sir Keir faces backlash for the nomination given Mandelson’s Epstein connections. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar demands Starmer’s resignation over the matter.
The prime minister acknowledges awareness of Mandelson’s continued friendship with Epstein but states the peer repeatedly lied about the relationship’s depth during vetting.
Phillipson’s Strong Response
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson addresses questions on whether the incident exposes weaknesses in Starmer’s leadership. She responds: “There are limits to what we can discuss given the ongoing police investigation. The prime minister dismissed Peter Mandelson as soon as the full extent emerged. He misled the prime minister and others during vetting, lying about his continued engagement with Jeffrey Epstein.”
Phillipson emphasizes: “The individuals responsible for the appalling abuse suffered by young women bear full accountability for those acts.”
Transparency Commitments and Parliamentary Pressure
Facing demands from Labour MPs and opposition parties, the prime minister agreed last month to disclose all appointment-related documents. Phillipson confirms plans to proceed: “We aim for transparency and will publish the documents, but must ensure nothing compromises the ongoing police investigation.”
Liberal Democrats plan a Tuesday parliamentary debate to force release of documents on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s tenure as trade envoy from 2001 to 2011. He faces similar allegations of sharing sensitive information with Epstein and was arrested last week on misconduct suspicions before release under investigation.
Phillipson declines to confirm government support for the Lib Dem motion: “We will review their request and outline our position in Parliament later.”
