Epstein scandal: Former Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson 'a traitor' says Ulster peer as Prime Minister declares 'he betrayed our country'
A Northern Irish former Labour minister has decried Peter Mandelson as a “traitor” as he officially quit the House of Lords today over the Epstein files scandal.
Baroness Kate Hoey was speaking as the torrent of condemnation of the former Northern Ireland Secretary continued today, with the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying that Lord Mandelson “betrayed our country, our parliament and my party”.
Baroness Hoey called the most recent information “shocking”.
It follows the release of millions of US government-held files – e-mails, documents, and photos – relating to dead paedophile businessman Jeffrey Epstein on Friday.
The files both underline the depth of Lord Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein after his child prostitution conviction in 2008, and allege that Lord Mandelson passed high-level confidential information to Epstein, such as details about Gordon Brown stepping down as Prime Minister and a 500 billion Euro bailout in the middle of the banking crisis.
A police investigation is now under way into Mr Mandelson’s conduct.
Mr Mandelson was a key aide to Tony Blair and served as NI Secretary from 1999 to 2001.
He served as ambassador to America last year, but the ongoing drip of revelations about his links to Epstein forced him out of the post in autumn.
At Prime Minister’s Questions today, Sir Keir was asked why he was ever appointed as ambassador.
He told MPs: “What was not known was the depth, the sheer depth and the extent of the relationship.
“He lied about that to everyone for years, and new information was published in September showing the relationship was materially different from what we’d been led to believe.
"When the new information came to light, I sacked him.”
Sir Keir also said: “Mandelson betrayed our country, our Parliament and my party.
“He lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein before and during his tenure as ambassador, I regret appointing him.”
Tonight, MPs approved the release of documents relating to Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador.
It comes after the Prime Minister backed down from his original plans for top civil servant Sir Chris Wormald to decide which documents could not be released on national security grounds or because they could prejudice international relations.
Under pressure from Labour MPs, led by former deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Sir Keir Starmer accepted the decision could be made by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) instead.
However, a minister told the House the documents would not be released immediately after a request from the Metropolitan Police.
Police told the government not to release “certain documents” that would “undermine” their investigation into the disgraced peer.
Cabinet Office minister Chris Ward told the Commons: “I just want to confirm to the house the material will not be released today because of the conversation with the Metropolitan Police over that, but it will be released as quickly as possible, in line with the process set out before the House.”
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle meanwhile said the Met Police have “no jurisdiction” over the chamber: “It will be whether the Government provides or not. But just to let you know, they cannot dictate to this House.”
‘REALLY, REALLY SHOCKING’:
Baroness Hoey, who was a Labour sports minister and junior Home Office minister around the turn of the millennium, told the News Letter she views Lord Mandelson as “a traitor”.
“The reality is they haven't found Peter Mandelson did anything wrong in the sense of with young women and things like that,” she said.
"But the really, really shocking aspect of the Peter Mandelson case is the fact he, as a cabinet minister, was willing to betray his country by sending e-mails to Epstein which could be, and probably were, used for financial gain.
"This was particularly dreadful at a time when the country was facing huge economic problems with the financial collapse.
"He deserves every denunciation, and also deserves the police investigation looking into whether he broke public office rules.
"When I was a minister, one of the first things you were told was how careful you had to be about making sure you weren't supposed to tell people things that were private in your ministrial office."
She added: "He should never have been appointed our ambassador.
"Therefore the buck stops with Keir Starmer."
Lord Bew, an Ulster historian and cross-bench peer, said he is “shocked” by the Mandelson allegations, but defended “his record as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland”.
MANDELSON ‘DID NOT ACT CRIMINALLY’:
Lord Mandelson has quit the House of Lords, but remains able to use the title ‘Lord Mandelson’ – though Sir Keir said legislation was being drafted to stop him from continuing to use the title.
And he said he had agreed with the King that Lord Mandelson should no longer be a privy counsellor – which allows him to be described as “right honourable” – because he had “brought the reputation of the Privy Council into disrepute”.
Lord Mandelson has been approached for comment and while he has yet to speak publicly, the BBC said it understood he maintains he did not act criminally and that his actions were not for personal gain.
The BBC reported Lord Mandelson argues he had sought Epstein’s expertise in the national interest before the financial crisis.
Following the Prime Minister’s Questions exchanges, a Tory spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has just admitted that the official security vetting highlighted Mandelson’s ongoing relationship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, but he went ahead and appointed him anyway.
“This is the first time the Prime Minister has admitted this and it raises very serious questions over Keir Starmer’s shocking judgment.”
Documents from 2009 appeared to show Lord Mandelson, the then-business secretary, share sensitive information with erstwhile prisoner Epstein on at least four occasions.
In an email, the former UK ambassador to the US appeared to forward a memo from ex-prime minister Gordon Brown’s senior adviser which discussed potential tax cuts and selling off assets in order to reduce the country’s debt. Epstein can be seen responding: “What salable (sic) assets?”
Mr Brown’s government announced a sell-off of £16 billion worth of assets, including the Dartford Crossing, just months later.
In 2010, another exchange between Lord Mandelson and Epstein appears to show the former Labour politician confirm to the paedophile that a bailout package for the euro was scheduled to be announced.
A day after the email was sent, European finance ministers, including then-chancellor Alistair Darling, announced the 500 billion euros bailout to restore the currency’s stability.
Shortly before Mr Brown’s resignation as prime minister in 2010, Lord Mandelson appeared to tell Epstein he “finally got him to go today”.
The same year Lord Mandelson also appeared to reveal the existence of a secret tunnel in Westminster, referring to “the underground walk from No 10 to the Ministry of Defence”.