Peter Mandelson arrested amid Epstein fallout

Huge figure in Labour politics arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office

February 23, 2026

By Matt Honeycombe-Foster

LONDON —Former U.K. ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson was arrested Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, amid scrutiny of his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

Metropolitan Police officers attended Mandelson’s home in northwest London on Monday afternoon.

In a statement, a Metropolitan 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 interview.

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

The force is probing claims that the senior British politician leaked internal government discussions to convicted sex offender Epstein in the wake of the 2008 financial crash.

Mandelson has not been charged with an offense. He has not commented on the police investigation, but has previously said he was wrong to have continued his association with Epstein and apologized “unequivocally” to Epstein’s victims.

Under British law, police can hold a suspect for up to 24 hours before either applying for more time for questioning, charging that person with a crime or releasing them.

Minister: Police will do what they need to do

Mandelson has been a commanding figure in British politics for decades. He overhauled the Labour Party in the 1980s and early 1990s, helping smooth Tony Blair’s path to power, rebooting its comms operation, building links with business, and tacking the party to the center.

He resigned twice from Blair’s governments, but made a spectacular comeback under Blair’s longtime rival Gordon Brown, appointed as his business secretary and de-facto deputy prime minister in 2008.

It was during this period that messages in the Epstein Files, released by the U.S. Department of Justice earlier this year, appear to show Mandelson forwarding correspondence on government policymaking to the disgraced financier.

Mandelson was again brought back into frontline politics by current Prime Minister Keir Starmer after his Labour Party swept back into office. He was made ambassador to the United States in 2025, but was sacked from the role in September that same year after correspondence showing a continued association with Epstein beyond the financier’s conviction for sex offenses was published.

Amid intense scrutiny of that hiring decision, the British government has promised to publish a tranche of documents related to Mandelson’s appointment, although some elements will be held back while the Metropolitan Police continue their inquiries.

Mandelson has previously said none of the Epstein emails released by the U.S. Department of Justice “indicate wrongdoing or misdemeanor on my part.” He has apologized “unequivocally” for his association with Epstein and “to the women and girls that suffered.” Mandelson gave up his place in the House of Lords earlier this month and quit the Labour Party.

Government Minister Jacqui Smith told Times Radio Monday night that the police force “will do what they need to do and will pursue the investigation as they see fit.”

“And I think that’s the most important thing for people like me to say at this moment in time,” she said.