Criminal probe is launched into Lord Mandelson over ‘handing market-sensitive info’ to Epstein
A criminal investigation has been launched into allegations Lord Peter Mandelson passed market-sensitive information to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
It comes after the former Cabinet minister finally quit Labour on Monday, with Sir Keir Starmer branded ‘weak’ for failing to kick Lord Mandelson out of the party earlier over his links to the notorious paedophile.
But the storm over a huge tranche of documents released by the US administration last week shows no sign of dissipating.
Gordon Brown has demanded a Cabinet Office probe into the ‘wholly unacceptable’ disclosure of details of his government’s desperate response to the Credit Crunch.
The ex-prime minister revealed he asked No10 for a probe last September – but after two months was told no evidence could be found.
The new US material includes emails apparently forwarded to the paedophile financier by Lord Mandelson in 2009, in which key Downing Street aides and ministers discussed the UK’s resilience to the Credit Crunch crisis and what government assets might be ‘saleable’.
Other documents seemingly show Lord Mandelson – who was Business Secretary at the time – advising Epstein how he and his powerful friends could lobby against a bankers’ bonus tax.
In May 2010 – after the election but before the Coalition government took over – Lord Mandelson appeared to give Epstein advance notice of a €500billion bailout of the Euro.
The PM was forced to sack Lord Mandelson from the key role of US ambassador last year after more revelations about Epstein
On May 10, 2010 Lord Mandelson seemingly messaged Epstein about the EU’s plan for a 500billion euro bailout of the single currency
What looks to be bank records from 2003 and 2004 suggest that Epstein wired the New Labour architect tens of thousands of pounds – although Lord Mandelson has said he believes they are fake.
The Tories demanded a further probe into Lord Mandelson’s conduct while US ambassador to review what information was shared with private companies, including Palantir.
Lord Mandelson brokered a meeting between Sir Keir Starmer and the tech firm in February last year.
The Conservatives also want the Government to publish documents related to its vetting of Lord Mandelson prior to his appointment as US ambassador by Sir Keir.
Documents from the release appear to show Lord Mandelson suggesting to Epstein in 2009 that he would lobby the UK government over a levy on bankers’ bonuses.
The so-called ‘super tax’ was introduced in December 2009 by then-chancellor Alistair Darling in the wake of the huge bailouts for banks.
An email dated December 15, 2009, which appears to be from Epstein, reads: ‘any real chance of making the tax only on the cash portion of the bankers bonus’.
The reply, apparently from Lord Mandelson, reads: ‘Trying hard to amend as I explained to Jes last night. Treasury digging in but I am on case.’
Two days later, an email discussion indicates Lord Mandelson encouraged JP Morgan’s boss Jamie Dimon to call Mr Darling and ‘mildly threaten’ him.
A photograph released as part of the Epstein files apparently shows Lord Mandelson talking to a woman who is wearing a white bath robe
In an email to Lord Mandelson, Epstein wrote ‘should Jamie call Darling one more time’ with an apparent reply – with the sender’s email redacted – saying: ‘Yes and mildly threaten.’
Mr Darling has since died, but wrote about a conversation with Mr Dimon in his book about the financial crisis: ‘Mr Dimon was very, very angry.. he said that his bank bought a lot of UK debt and he wondered if that was now such a good idea.
‘I pointed out that they bought our debt because it was a good business deal for them.
‘He went on to say they were thinking of building a new office in London but they had to reconsider that now.’
The bonus tax stayed in place despite the lobbying.
