Gordon Brown writes to Met to again case for investigation into Mandelson’s ‘inexcusable and unpatriotic’ leaking
The previous prime minister Gordon Brown has written to the Metropolitan police with info to again the case for a felony investigation into Peter Mandelson.
In an announcement, Brown stated:
I’ve immediately written to the Met Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, with info related to his investigation of Lord Mandelson’s disclosure of market delicate and confidential authorities info to the American financier, Jeffrey Epstein, an inexcusable and unpatriotic act at a time when the entire authorities and nation had been trying to deal with the worldwide monetary disaster that was damaging so many livelihoods.
I’ve despatched Sir Mark correspondence, exchanged between myself and the cupboard secretary final 12 months, and I’ve additionally handed over info arising from it which may be essential in his present investigation.
I’ve included the letter I despatched in September 2025 asking the cupboard secretary to analyze the veracity of data contained within the Epstein papers relating to the sale of belongings arising from the banking collapse and communications about them between Lord Mandelson and Mr Epstein.
I’ve additionally included the November 2025 response from the cupboard secretary who stated about this that ‘no data of data or correspondence from Lord Mandelson’s mailbox’ might be discovered.
Having drawn their consideration to related proof, the matter now rests within the fingers of the police.
Key occasions
Violent and extremist inmates to be stored in supermax-style jail models, Lammy tells MPs
Violent and extremist inmates might be stored in new supermax-style prison units, David Lammy, the justice secretary has introduced. PA Media says:
Offenders stored within the models will face more durable circumstances impressed by supermax prisons in america.
The transfer comes after Manchester Enviornment bomb plotter Hashem Abedi allegedly carried out a “terrorist” assault on jail officers at a most safety jail with sizzling cooking oil and makeshift weapons.
David Lammy stated a evaluation by Jonathan Corridor KC into the alleged assault on three jail guards at HMP Frankland in 2025 had confirmed enhancements had been wanted.
He stated separation centres, particular models inside prisons to accommodate Islamic extremists, could be reworked with a brand new tiered system.
Separation centres had been created in 2017 to isolate extremist offenders from the mainstream jail inhabitants.
Prisons that presently have the centres are HMP Full Sutton close to York, HMP Frankland in County Durham, and HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes.
Employees working in such models will obtain specialist coaching, and intelligence assortment might be sped up, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) outlined.
Motion between the tiers will solely be potential after “rigorous threat assessments”, the MoJ stated.
Abedi, who was convicted over the 2017 Manchester Enviornment bombing which killed 22 individuals, was transferred from Frankland, in Durham, to Belmarsh jail in south-east London following the alleged assault.
Three jail officers had been taken to hospital with severe accidents following the incident.
Abedi denied the assault when he appeared on the Previous Bailey final 12 months.
Lammy stated the federal government had accepted all 13 suggestions made by Corridor.
Gordon Brown writes to Met to again case for investigation into Mandelson’s ‘inexcusable and unpatriotic’ leaking
The previous prime minister Gordon Brown has written to the Metropolitan police with info to again the case for a felony investigation into Peter Mandelson.
In an announcement, Brown stated:
I’ve immediately written to the Met Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, with info related to his investigation of Lord Mandelson’s disclosure of market delicate and confidential authorities info to the American financier, Jeffrey Epstein, an inexcusable and unpatriotic act at a time when the entire authorities and nation had been trying to deal with the worldwide monetary disaster that was damaging so many livelihoods.
I’ve despatched Sir Mark correspondence, exchanged between myself and the cupboard secretary final 12 months, and I’ve additionally handed over info arising from it which may be essential in his present investigation.
I’ve included the letter I despatched in September 2025 asking the cupboard secretary to analyze the veracity of data contained within the Epstein papers relating to the sale of belongings arising from the banking collapse and communications about them between Lord Mandelson and Mr Epstein.
I’ve additionally included the November 2025 response from the cupboard secretary who stated about this that ‘no data of data or correspondence from Lord Mandelson’s mailbox’ might be discovered.
Having drawn their consideration to related proof, the matter now rests within the fingers of the police.
Wes Streeting defends No 10 over Mandelson’s appointment, saying it could not have identified full extent of Epstein hyperlinks
Some Labour MPs against Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s chief of employees, are desirous to blame him for the Peter Mandelson debacle. Mandelson and McSweeney fashioned one thing of a mutual admiration membership within the interval earlier than the final election, they’ve a shared contempt for the Labour left, and McSweeney has been credited with persuading Starmer to make the peer an envoy, regardless of the misgivings of others in Downing Avenue.
In an article for the i, Kitty Donaldson says some Labour MPs need to make McSweeney the “sacrificial lamb” after this scandal. She writes:
“Nobody goes to maneuver towards Keir earlier than Might, however after that, he’ll want a sacrificial lamb to avoid wasting his premiership,” a authorities supply instructed The i Paper.
“I simply really feel like a high-profile particular person’s received to go, perhaps Rachel [Reeves] or perhaps Morgan, as a result of it’s both the PM, or any person near him. Rachel is in a greater place than she was as a result of individuals [Labour MPs] favored the finances” …
“This concept has been floating round for some time that Keir should eliminate somebody after Might. Ideally, he’d have a reshuffle, however he most likely received’t have the authority to do this,” one other authorities supply stated.
“The Mandelson stuff over the weekend has introduced this concept up once more as a result of clearly Morgan was the principle particular person pushing for his appointment.”
In an interview with Radio 5 Stay immediately, Wes Streeting argued that nobody in Downing Avenue might be blamed for the truth that Mandelson didn’t inform the entire fact about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein earlier than he was made an envoy. Streeting gave the impression to be defending each Starmer himself, and McSweeney.
Streeting stated:
When it comes to his appointment to be US ambassador, I can’t see how it could have been identified or may have been identified, the total extent of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein or certainly the truth that he was passing delicate and market-sensitive info to this man while as a serving authorities minister. I don’t assume that might have be identified and will have be identified.
And if anybody is in any doubt concerning the judgment and integrity of this prime minister, they’ll choose him by his actions, ensuring the ambassador was woken up in the midst of the evening and was placed on a airplane again to London and recalled as our ambassador. That was swift, it was decisive, and Keir Starmer acted instantly upon realizing that the assurances that he had acquired by the vetting course of had turned out to be false reassurances.
Within the Commons yesterday Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the PM, suggested Mandelson lied in his declaration of pursuits earlier than his appointment.
Labour has criticised Nigel Farage for refusing to disown Tommy Robinson’s endorsement within the Gorton and Denton byelection. (See 3.33pm.) A Labour spokesperson stated:
Nigel Farage’s refusal to reject and denounce Tommy Robinson’s endorsement of Matt Goodwin tells you all that you must learn about what’s at stake within the Gorton and Denton byelection.
It actually shouldn’t be that tough for Reform to say they don’t welcome the backing of an appalling far-right activist like Robinson. Voters might be left with no selection however to imagine they’re completely satisfied to have his help.
No 10 welcomes Mandelson’s determination to depart Home of Lords
Downing Avenue has welcomed the information that Peter Mandelson has retired from the Home of Lords. A No 10 spokesperson stated:
It’s proper that Peter Mandelson will not be a member of the Home of Lords.
Because the prime minister stated this morning, Peter Mandelson let his nation down.
Farage defends Reform UK donations from agency with hyperlinks to foreign-born billionaire, saying they’re ‘completely professional’
The ultimate query, or questions, on the Nigel Farage press convention got here from my colleague Peter Walker.
Q: Tommy Robinson has endorsed Reform UK within the Gorton and Denton byelection. Matt Goodwin, the candidate, has not disowned him. Ought to he?
Farage stated he didn’t assume endorsements matter. Tommy Robinson may do what he favored. Farage stated he was not bothered.
Q: Are you able to clarify why your get together is getting a lot cash from John Simpson, as defined within the Sunday Occasions story on the weekend? (See 2.07pm.)
Farage stated that he didn’t know Simpson. He was not considered one of his contacts, he stated.
However he stated he knew a lot of the get together’s donors, actually the large ones. “And you can be discovering out much more about that, in fact, in a couple of weeks’ time, when the Q1 figures are revealed, and also you’ll be maybe fairly shocked by what you see.”
Farage stated he did take a look at the Sunday Occasions story. “Every little thing’s authorized, the whole lot’s above board,” he stated. He stated individuals may speculate about Simpson “until the cows come residence”, however he was a “completely professional donor”.
Farage says defection from Labour he promised nonetheless ‘work in progress’
At his press convention Nigel Farage was requested occurred to the Labour defector was was promising a couple of weeks in the past.
Farage claimed that was a “work in progress”. He stated the get together was speaking to 2 or three “previously fairly senior Labour figures” about potential defections.
Q: You don’t need foreigners to have advantages. If you happen to had been PM, and a international particular person misplaced their job, what would your recommendation to them be?
Farage advises the questioner to read the Swedish newspapers today. They’re eliminating indefinite depart to stay, he says.
That is the assertion that Michael Forsyth, the lord speaker, learn out asserting that Peter Mandelson has stop the Lords.
My lords, given the general public curiosity, and for the comfort of the home, I’ve determined to tell the home that the clerk of the parliaments has immediately acquired notification from Lord Mandelson of his intention to retire from the home efffective from 4 February. I’ll formally notify this to the home tomorrow within the typical manner.
Mandelson to surrender membership of Home of Lords – however his peerage not affected
Peter Mandelson is to step down from the Home of Lords.
The transfer was introduced within the Lords by the Lord Speaker, Michael Forsyth.
This implies he’ll not be a member, and entitled to participate in its proceedings.
However he’ll preserve his title, and he’ll nonetheless be entitled to name himself Lord Mandelson.
