Mandelson-Starmer latest: Met Police searching two properties linked to ex-Lord amid Epstein investigation
No arrests have been made as enquires are ongoing, police say, as pressure continues to pile on the PM to take action
Police are searching addresses in Wiltshire and Camden, north London, as part of a misconduct in public office investigation launched into Lord Peter Mandelson.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Hayley Sewart, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "I can confirm that officers from the Met's Central Specialist Crime team are in the process of carrying out search warrants at two addresses, one in the Wiltshire area, and another in the Camden area.
"The searches are related to an ongoing investigation into misconduct in public office offences, involving a 72-year-old man.
"He has not been arrested and enquiries are ongoing."
It comes as the lobbying firm co-founded by Lord Mandelson has cut all ties with the former US ambassador in light of his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Global Counsel said Lord Mandelson no longer has a stake in the business nor any influence over it, and co-founder and chief executive Benjamin Wegg-Prosser said he was stepping down.
Meanwhile, Westminster is in disarray as pressure mounts on Sir Keir Starmer to sack his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, or jeopardise his own position as prime minister.
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Will Keir Starmer survive the Mandelson-Epstein scandal?
Will Starmer survive the Mandelson-Epstein scandal?
Police cars parked outside Lord Mandelson's Wiltshire address
One marked police car and five unmarked cars were seen parked outside Lord Peter Mandelson’s Wiltshire address on Friday evening, according to the Press Association.
The property had lights on inside and an open garage door.
A handful of members of the media were gathered outside the detached home near Wilcot.
Mandelson’s lobbying firm cuts all ties with disgraced peer amid Epstein fallout
A lobbying firm co-founded by Peter Mandelson has severed all connections with the peer.
Its chief executive, Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, has also announced his departure.
The decision follows mounting pressure on Global Counsel over Lord Mandelson's association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mandelson’s lobbying firm cuts all ties with disgraced peer amid Epstein fallout
Labour MP slams Mandelson's alleged leaks as 'treasonous'
The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
A Labour MP who worked as a special adviser to ex-chancellor Alistair Darlington in 2009 has slammed alleged leaks by Lord Peter Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein and “treasonous”.
Milton Keynes MP Emily Darlington said: "I am beyond being furious and appalled. Everyone was working all hours to protect people’s bank accounts and save the economy. To think that he was leaking the information to Epstein so he could help rich Americans money make money on the UK government’s actions. It is treasonous.
“Hopefully we get enough detail to assess how much this drove up the cost of the government bailouts."
She warned it would be "unforgivable" if Mandelson's actions made the bailout of the banks even more expensive for the British taxpayer.
Is Angela Rayner, Queen of the North, really ready to march on Starmer’s Westminster?
With furious Labour MPs – and the country – baying for blood over Lord Mandelson’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein, the only thing keeping Keir Starmer in post has been uncertainty over his replacement – but that could be set to change, writes Sonia Sodha:
Is Angela Rayner, Queen of the North, really ready to march on Starmer’s Westminster?
Zarah Sultana calls for Keir Starmer to resign over Mandelson scandal
Zarah Sultana, Your Party, MP for Coventry South, has called on Keir Starmer to resign over his previous support for Mandelson.
Ms Sultana cited how the prime minister told the Commons last September that he had “full confidence” in Peter Mandelson.
“Well the public has no confidence in him. He should do the honourable thing and resign”, she added.
Ms Sultana said: “Peter Mandelson was eventually removed as US ambassador, but he remained in the House of Lords and as a Labour party member until three days ago. So the Labour party cannot pretend that this was some distant mistake quietly corrected a long time ago. This was a decision they defended until they were forced to abandon it and he should never have been appointed in the first place.”
She called for the government to publish all the documents, the risk assessments, the correspondence and the contracts including involvement with the company Palantir. She also supported calls for an independent judge-led public inquiry.
'No 10 needs gutting from top to bottom' - Labour MP
In a fiery post, Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, has said Downing Street “needs gutting from top to bottom”.
She added that the Mandelson scandal shows “McSweeney’s operation is rotten to the core”.
'There needs to be a clear out of No 10'- Simon Opher MP
Simon Opher MP has said there needs to be a "clear out" of number 10 and has called for the Prime Minister's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney to leave.
On the Today programme on Friday, the Labour MP said: "There's a lot of anger amongst Labour MPs, because really we want to, I mean, yesterday, I want to be talking about the cancer care plan, not about Peter Mandelson.
"So I think what we need to do, I think what needs to really happen is that we need to, Keir Starmer needs to change his advisers in Number 10, I think he's been badly advised, and he's been really let down, particularly on this decision.
"I mean, I know in politics, we really rely on people to sort of cover our backs, our advisors, and I think they patently haven't done this with Peter Mandelson, and I think so we need a bit of a clear out really at number 10."
Asked whether this meant Mr McSweeney leaving, Mr Opher replied: "I think so yes".
"If my chief of staff had done this I think he would be looking for another job to be honest," he said.
Police officers continue to search Lord Peter Mandelson's house
Another two people believed to be police officers have arrived at Lord Peter Mandelson’s house near Regent’s Park in central London on Friday afternoon.
Both of them appeared to be wearing body cameras.
Mandelson’s lobbying firm cuts all ties and announces boss is set to quit
The lobbying firm co-founded by Peter Mandelson has cut all ties with the former US ambassador and has announced its boss Benjamin Wegg-Prosser will step down.
Global Counsel said Lord Mandelson has been stripped of his stake in the business and no longer carries any influence over it. The business has divested his shares and ended all connections to him.
Co-founder and chief executive Mr Wegg-Prosser said he was leaving the organisation as it was “time to draw a line” between the firm and the “actions” of Lord Mandelson.
Managing director, Rebecca Park has replaced him as head of the firm, and his page on the company’s website has already been taken down. Ms Park has also acquired the remaining shares that were held by Lord Mandelson.
The chairman, Archie Norman, said: “With the completion of this process today, Peter Mandelson no longer has any shareholding, role or association with Global Counsel and has no influence over the firm in any capacity.
“Global Counsel is independently governed and led and continues to focus on serving its clients with integrity and professionalism.”
Lord Mandelson co-founded the London-based firm with Mr Wegg-Prosser in 2010 after Labour lost the general election, but stepped down from its board around two years ago.
Mr Wegg-Prosser was formerly a political advisor and director of strategic communications under former prime minister Tony Blair, before going on to work as a director at a Russian media firm.
Global Counsel has worked with wide variety of clients including: Palantir, GSK, Vodafone, OpenAI, TikTok and the English Premier League.
Barclays has also cut ties with Global Counsel amid the scrutiny.
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