U.K. Police Arrest Peter Mandelson, Ex-Ambassador to the U.S., Amid Epstein Accusations

Peter Mandelson was arrested on Monday on suspicion of “misconduct in public office” following revelations about his dealings with Jeffrey Epstein, the sex offender.Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the United States. Credit...Jon Rowley/Getty ImagesFeb. 23, 2026Updated 1:43 p.m. ETThe British police on Monday arrested Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the United States, following allegations that he passed confidential government information to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.London’s Metropolitan Police, which began an investigation into Mr. Mandelson earlier this month, said in a statement, “Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office.” The statement added that the man had been taken to a police station in London to be formally interviewed.The police did not name Mr. Mandelson, in line with rules that ban identifying suspects before any charges are brought. But footage broadcast by the BBC showed Mr. Mandelson being led from his home into an unmarked police car by plainclothes police officers and driven away, at around 4:30 p.m. local time. Mr. Mandelson was not handcuffed and was carrying a bottle of water.Previously a Labour Party lawmaker representing Hartlepool in northeast England, Mr. Mandelson served as a minister in Tony Blair’s government between 1997 and 2001, and under Prime Minister Gordon Brown from 2008 to 2010.The arrest came days after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince, was arrested on suspicion of the same offense — misconduct in public office, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.Official guidance to British prosecutors says that the offense is committed when a public officer, such as an elected politician or government official, “willfully neglects to perform their duty” or “willfully misconducts themselves” in a way that abuses the public’s trust.In September, Mr. Mandelson, 72, was fired from his diplomatic post in Washington when the depth and duration of his friendship with Mr. Epstein became clear after the publication of emails between them.The release of new material by the U.S. Department of Justice on Jan. 30 from the so-called Epstein files increased the scrutiny of Mr. Mandelson’s relationship with the sex offender and provoked a political crisis for Prime Minister Keir Starmer.The latest batch of documents appears to show that in 2009, when Mr. Mandelson was a senior cabinet minister, he gave potentially confidential and market sensitive information to Mr. Epstein.Mr. Mandelson has not been charged with a crime.He resigned from the Labour Party on Feb. 1, the same day that it was revealed that the police were investigating him over the accusations. He has not publicly commented since then. Previously, he said that the documents released by the Department of Justice did not “indicate wrongdoing or misdemeanor on my part.”Mr. Starmer has acknowledged that he knew of Mr. Mandelson’s links to Mr. Epstein when he appointed him as ambassador to the United States, but has said that Mr. Mandelson lied about the extent of the relationship during vetting procedures.In addition to the arrests of Mr. Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the furor in Britain has prompted the resignation of two of Mr. Starmer’s closest aides, who were also political allies of Mr. Mandelson. Morgan McSweeney, who served as the prime minister’s chief of staff, and Tim Allan, who was Mr. Starmer’s director of communications, resigned earlier this month.The crisis also led Anas Sarwar, the leader of the Scottish Labour Party, to call on Mr. Starmer to stand down, but cabinet ministers and Labour lawmakers rallied around the prime minister.Stephen Castle is a London correspondent of The Times, writing widely about Britain, its politics and the country’s relationship with Europe.SKIP