Baroness Harman has stated Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest has heightened the necessity for him to testify to US politicians about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
It follows the previous prince being taken into custody by Thames Valley Police on Thursday – his birthday – over allegations of misconduct in a public workplace. He has beforehand denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Talking on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Harriet Harman stated: “I feel it additionally makes it much more vital that Prince Andrew agrees to go to present proof to Congress on the investigations that they are doing there.”
The US Congress has been publishing paperwork regarding deceased paedophile Jeffrey Epstein over latest months, the so-called Epstein information.
In November, Democrats on the US Home Oversight Committee wrote to the previous prince, asking him to journey to Washington DC to testify earlier than them about his relationship with the disgraced financier.
This adopted Mountbatten-Windsor being stripped of his royal titles.
You may hearken to the total episode of Electoral Dysfunction tomorrow morning – observe here to hear wherever you get your podcasts.
Talking following his arrest, Baroness Harman informed Sky Information: “Properly, I feel it was inevitable as soon as there was began to be investigation on Peter Mandelson for leaking info, which was supposedly confidential authorities financial and business info, that if these emails appeared to point out Prince Andrew when he was commerce envoy doing the very same factor, that he must be investigated and arrested as nicely.”
Lord Mandelson stays underneath police investigation over allegations he leaked authorities info whereas serving as enterprise secretary – underneath then-PM Gordon Brown – one thing he denies.
Mountbatten-Windsor was appointed by the federal government as a commerce envoy in 2001. He held the function – which gave him had entry to senior ministers and enterprise contacts – for a decade, during which time he travelled the world selling the UK.
Baroness Harman continued: “I feel that that is a completely unprecedented second of giant implications as a result of I feel what’s occurred is that Epstein emails have damaged open the secrecy about how very wealthy, highly effective, and typically royal males behave.
“Keep in mind that Andrew has been arrested by police who’re a part of His Majesty’s constabulary. These are the King’s police. If it had been to go to courtroom, it’s His Majesty’s courtroom. However because the prime minister stated, no person ought to be above the legislation.”
She stated the arrest would have “enormous implications” for the Royal Household.
Her podcast co-host, former Scottish Conservative chief Ruth Davidson, agreed, saying pictures of police automobiles arriving on the Sandringham Property in Norfolk to arrest Mountbatten-Windsor are the “form of photos you by no means thought you’d see”.
She added: “The human aspect of me is pondering, thank God the late queen did not stay to see this, as a result of it could have damaged her coronary heart.
“However then the sort of, the rational aspect of my mind kicks in. Individuals who might have dedicated crimes – that we’re discovering out about via the Epstein trials being opened – ought to face that in the identical manner.”
Ms Davidson added: “Even the investigations taking place now, none of them are touching on the basic query of why had been younger girls and women trafficked all over the world to be abused by wealthy and highly effective males and why are not any wealthy and highly effective males being questioned about that aspect of any of this.”
