The UK government has released tens of thousands of documents regarding Lord Peter Mandelson’s ambassador appointment after outcry over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Cabinet minister Darren Jones said a ‘big number’ of the documents will be released today, though it is still just a fraction of the papers demanded by Parliament.
Last month, MPs ordered the Government to release tens of thousands of documents relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment in 2024 after questions over how the peer was vetted and what was known about his links to paedophile financier Epstein.
The Financial Times has reported that the files will allegedly show Mandelson was given a £70,000 severance payout, but asked for a much larger number.
The Prime Minister has insisted Lord Mandelson ‘lied repeatedly’ to No 10 about his relationship with Epstein, before and during his tenure as ambassador.
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The timing of the release has led to accusations from the Conservatives that the Prime Minister is attempting to ‘dodge questions’ about Lord Mandelson’s vetting by publishing the documents after PMQs.
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart said: ‘His fingers are all over this. He’s already admitted that he knew about Mandelson’s ongoing relationship with Epstein when he appointed him.’
Some files will be withheld for national security or foreign relations reasons, but the final say over which documents are redacted rests with Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee.
The Government has also agreed a framework with the Metropolitan Police on which documents can be released without prejudicing the ongoing police investigation into Lord Mandelson.
Lord Mandelson was arrested on February 23 on suspicion of misconduct in public office, having been accused of passing sensitive information on to Epstein during his time as business secretary.
He was subsequently bailed, but later released from his bail conditions, although he remains under investigation.
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