Mandelson could face police inquiry over alleged leak to Epstein

Peter Mandelson is facing a possible police investigation into his alleged leak of market-sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein at the height of the financial crisis.New disclosures from the Epstein files appear to show Mandelson sent a string of emails to the late sex offender containing confidential information that the government was receiving to deal with the global crash while he was business secretary under Gordon Brown.Keir Starmer has ordered an investigation by the cabinet secretary and demanded Mandelson resign from the House of Lords. Brown has also asked the cabinet secretary to investigate the alleged leaks to Epstein.MPs lined up in parliament on Monday to express fury over Mandelson’s apparent willingness to share British government papers with the disgraced US financier.The SNP and Reform UK have reported Mandelson to the police for misconduct in a public office. Emily Thornberry, the Labour chair of the foreign affairs select committee, also said she believed his actions should merit a criminal inquiry.The Metropolitan Police confirmed it had received a number of reports relating to alleged misconduct in a public office and was considering whether to launch a criminal investigation.Commander Ella Marriott said: “The reports will all be reviewed to determine if they meet the criminal threshold for investigation. As with any matter, if new and relevant information is brought to our attention we will assess it, and investigate as appropriate.”In at least one email forwarded to Epstein – sent from a redacted address – an email address for “John Pond” was copied in, which the Guardian understands was the code name used by advisers when forwarding to Brown’s secure email account.Emails forwarded to Epstein from the very top of the UK government include: A confidential UK government document outlining £20bn in asset sales. Mandelson claiming he was “trying hard” to change government policy on bankers’ bonuses. An imminent bailout package for the euro the day before it was announced in 2010. A suggestion that the JPMorgan boss “mildly threaten” the chancellor. One former adviser described the conduct as “treacherous” and said they hoped the police would investigate. “You can imagine the sense of betrayal that those of us who worked every hour of the day during that crisis are feeling,” they said.Keir Starmer, right, with Peter Mandelson, left. The prime minister is likely to face renewed questions over his judgment in appointing Mandelson as US ambassador. Photograph: Carl Court/APThe emails are part of a vast cache of disclosures relating to Epstein released on Friday by the US Department of Justice.Earlier this week, documents appeared to show the disgraced financier paid a total of $75,000 into bank accounts of which Mandelson – then a Labour MP – was believed to be a beneficiary. It is also alleged that Epstein sent Mandelson’s partner, now his husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, £10,000 in September 2009 to fund an osteopathy course and other expenses.One email, which had the subject line “Business issues”, was sent by Brown’s special adviser Nick Butler on 13 June 2009 with significant detail about policy measures the government was considering and suggesting the government had £20bn in saleable assets.Mandelson forwarded the email to Epstein and said: “Interesting note that’s gone to the PM.” Epstein responded to Mandelson, asking “what salable (sic) assets?” A reply from a redacted email address said: “Land, property I guess.”Four months later, the government announced the plans for the asset sale, hoping to raise £16bn, including surplus real estate.Butler, who penned the memo, said he was considering reporting the matter to the police. “We – that is all the people included on this email and many others – worked on the basis of trust, which allowed us to float ideas. I am disgusted by the breach of trust, presumably intended to give Epstein the chance to make money,” he told the Times.Brown said in a statement on Monday that he had asked the cabinet secretary Chris Wormald in September to investigate the potential leaks of market-sensitive information to Epstein during the global financial crisis but had been told there was no evidence available until now.The former prime minister said it was “shocking new information that has come to light” and said there was now a need for “a wider and more intensive enquiry to take place into the wholly unacceptable disclosure of government papers and information during the period when the country was battling the global financial crisis”.In another email from 9 May 2010, Epstein asked Mandelson to confirm a €500bn bailout – which the then business secretary said would be announced that evening. The following day, Mandelson also appeared to give Epstein an early tipoff about Gordon Brown’s resignation.Starmer, who has no direct power to strip Mandelson of his Lords title, is now likely to face renewed questions over his judgment in appointing Mandelson as US ambassador and his closeness to senior Labour figures, including his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and the health secretary, Wes Streeting. Mandelson only resigned his membership of the Labour party on Sunday.No 10 wrote to the Lords authorities on Monday and said that the upper chamber should urgently modernise its disciplinary procedures to strip him of his peerage.But a Lords source said there was little guidance or work undertaken about how the reforms of the disciplinary procedures should take place, despite it being included in Labour’s manifesto.Government insiders hope the senior politician will choose to stand down from the Lords of his own accord, but a No 10 source admitted they had received no assurances from Mandelson that he would voluntarily resign.Peter Mandelson, left, as the newly appointed secretary of state for trade and Industry in 1998, with then chancellor Gordon Brown, right. Photograph: Adam Butler/Associated PressIn another 2009 email, which has enraged his former colleagues, Mandelson said the Treasury was “digging in” on potential new taxes on bankers’ bonuses. Two days later, Epstein asked whether Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan should call the chancellor, Alistair Darling. In the reply Mandelson said he should “mildly threaten” the chancellor.The BBC’s economics editor, Faisal Islam, said he understood from conversations with the late former chancellor the call had subsequently taken place between Darling and Dimon – as well as other senior bankers – to lobby him on the new bonus curbs.The former permanent secretary to the Treasury Nick Macpherson said there had been suspicions about leaks during that period. “Alistair Darling and the official Treasury were always aware that investment banks had an inside track to No 10. But the brazen nature of that inside track is rather breathtaking,” he said.The chief secretary to the prime minister, Darren Jones, told the Commons on Monday that “no government minister of any political party should have, nor ever should behave in this way.”He suggested Mandelson had lied on his disclosures to government before his appointment as US ambassador. “The key thing, though, is when someone lies in their declaration of interests, there must be a consequence,” he said.There is no precedent for removing a specific person from the House of Lords and it would require primary legislation. The last time that happened was during the first world war, when it was applied to a group of peers who had sided with Britain’s enemies.No timeframe has been given for the Cabinet Office review, and No 10 would not say that it should be made public. The review could include examining documents in the National Archives and speaking to Mandelson and other contemporaries in No 10 at the time he was in correspondence with Epstein.A government spokesperson said: “It is rightly for the police to determine whether to investigate and the government stands ready to provide whatever support and assistance the police need.”The FCA declined to comment. Mandelson has been asked for comment.