Minister rages at ‘impolite, smug and entitled hustler’ Andrew as authorities bows to MP calls for for launch of papers about ex-prince’s commerce envoy function

A minister attacked ‘rude, arrogant and entitled’ Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor today as the government bowed to demands for the release of papers about his time as UK trade envoy.

Chris Bryant condemned the former prince’s ‘self-aggrandisement’, saying he was constantly engaged in a ‘self-enriching hustle’. 

The critique came during a Commons debate about the publication of files covering the decade the King’s brother spent working wooing foreign dignitaries.

And ministers have signalled they will not stand in the way of the move to shed light on a role that led to the royal being dubbed ‘Air Miles Andy’ due to frequent taxpayer-funded trips abroad.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested last week after the US Epstein files were released, including messages purporting to show he shared confidential UK government documents with the billionaire child abuser. He has denied wrongdoing.

MPs have traditionally been discouraged from discussing the monarchy in the Commons chamber.

However Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has declared Andrew fair game as he was stripped of his prince and Duke of York titles last year after emails emerged that cast doubts over previous claims about when he cut ties with Epstein.

Taking advantage of the ruling, Sir Chris reminded the House that he had called for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to be sacked as trade envoy more than a decade ago.

He described him as ‘a man on a constant self aggrandising, self enriching hustle. 

‘A rude, arrogant and entitled man who could not distinguish between the public interest which he said he served, and his own private interest,’ he added. 

The Lib Dems have tabled an humble address in the Commons – the same arcane mechanism the Tories used to press for the release of files on Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador – in a bid to compel the Government to disclose information about Andrew, who served as a trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.

The motion calls for the release of papers relating to Andrew’s appointment to the post, including any vetting and any correspondence from Lord Mandelson.

The Speaker advised MPs they should be mindful not to say something that might prejudice any legal proceedings, as the House’s sub judice rule prohibits reference to active cases and discussions of ongoing police investigations are discouraged.

Putting the Lib Dem motion, party leader Ed Davey said: ‘In many ways, this is the first truly global scandal from the White House and Silicon Valley to Oslo and Paris, but it’s also a deeply British scandal reaching right to the top of the British establishment.

‘Because, can there be many people more symbolic of the rot that eats away at the British establishment than the former duke of York and special trade envoy, and (Peter Mandelson) the former business secretary, first secretary of state and ambassador to the United States.

‘Their association with Epstein and their actions on his behalf, while trusted with the privilege of public office, are a stain on our country.

‘We must begin to clean away that stain with the disinfectant of transparency.’

He also criticised parliamentary procedure which ‘barred’ MPs from raising criticisms of the now former prince.

But Sir Chris said he wanted to ‘manage people’s expectations’ about how quickly material could be released.

‘I want to make sure that we move as fast as we possibly can, but I also want to make sure that justice does happen, and I don’t want to do anything that would undermine the police investigations,’ he said. 

‘I hope that they will be able to move as swiftly as possible and we will certainly co-operate with them as swiftly as possible.

‘It’s worth bearing in mind that the documents that might be envisaged in this are mostly 25-years-old. Some of them are a bit earlier. They may be substantial in number and many of them will be in hard copy.

‘So, I hate to add to (Sir Edward’s) fears about the speed with which things may be able to happen, but we would all want to make sure that we do do all of this in a proper fashion.’

Later, he told Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper: ‘I am slightly trying to manage people’s expectations about timeliness, partly because of the quantity of material, and because there is a live police investigation, and I just don’t want to jeopardise that.

‘If there are things that are embarrassing to the Government, who cares? I want to make sure that we end up getting the proper justice that is necessary for the victims, and that means that we have to have a proper police procedure.’

It comes after Andrew was arrested last Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office and released under investigation for allegedly leaking confidential information to Epstein while serving as the UK’s trade envoy. He has always denied wrongdoing.

MPs across parties are preparing to press for answers over how he was able to represent the nation for a decade with seemingly minimal oversight, despite concerns over his questionable friendships.

Yesterday Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called for the Department for Business and Trade to open its files on Andrew to aid the investigation.

She said: ‘Prince Andrew would have been given that because it could open doors, but if there is anything in these allegations of misconduct in public office, then all the files should be released and investigated.’

Andrew’s downfall has triggered renewed calls for greater transparency around the Royal Family, which remains largely exempt from Freedom of Information laws and wider scrutiny by Parliament.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson on Sunday refused to rule out a judge-led inquiry into the former duke. ‘We do believe all options should be open for consideration. This is extremely serious,’ she told GB News.

Any independent inquiry would be designed to establish the facts of Andrew’s links with Epstein, as well as the wider issues or failures in his position as trade envoy.

It comes after The Mail on Sunday revealed that the King was warned that the family name was being ‘abused’ by Andrew’s contacts.

In a bombshell email, a whistleblower told the Palace as long ago as 2019 that Andrew had secret financial links to controversial millionaire financier David Rowland, who was exploiting his royal links.