Former Labor leader Peter Mandelson is being investigated on suspicion of “misconduct in public office”.
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Published February 23, 2026
Embattled former British ambassador Peter Mandelson has been detained as part of a misconduct investigation into his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The former official, who has been a leading figure in Britain’s Labor Party for decades and previously served as ambassador to the United States, was taken from his London home by authorities on Monday.
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In line with its policy, the Metropolitan Police did not name Mandelson directly, but confirmed that the 72-year-old had been arrested on “suspected misconduct in a public office” and taken to a London police station for questioning.
Photos published by Britain’s Times newspaper showed Mr Mandelson, wearing khakis, a gray sweater and a dark jacket, being led into a car by plainclothes officers.
“This is just shocking political news,” Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull reported from London, noting that Mandelson “is a huge figure here.”
Mandelson’s lawyer did not immediately respond.
Mr Mandelson, 72, who still holds the title of Britain’s Lord, has been embroiled in scandal since a trove of emails released by the US Department of Justice last month shed new light on his relationship with the late Mr Epstein.
The emails revealed a closer relationship than was publicly known, revealing that Mr Mandelson shared information with Mr Epstein when he was a cabinet minister in former prime minister Gordon Brown’s government.
Earlier this month, Mandelson, who was sacked as ambassador to the United States last year over previous revelations about his ties to Epstein, quit Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labor Party and resigned from his seat in the upper house of parliament.
He previously said he “deeply” regretted his past relationship with convicted pedophile Epstein.
Mandelson’s arrest comes less than a week after King Charles’ brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was also arrested for questioning as part of a similar investigation into his links to Epstein.
Hull said the British government is currently considering legislation that would disqualify former princes from the throne, which would “almost eliminate” their relationship with the royal family. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor denies any wrongdoing.
The fallout from Epstein in the UK has also put further pressure on Starmer, who is facing calls to resign.
“This will add further political scandal, political drama and political weight to Mr Starmer’s position,” Mr Hull said. “The fallout from the Epstein scandal seems to be being felt more acutely here than on the other side of the Atlantic (where Epstein lives and is of course from).”
