© Tom Blewitt & Zack Griffiths – Predator Awareness

Peter Mandelson is set to retire from the House of Lords following renewed scrutiny over his past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, after the Cabinet Office referred allegations to the Metropolitan Police.

Downing Street confirmed that the Prime Minister told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that Lord Mandelson had “let his country down,” and said officials had been instructed to draft legislation to allow his peerage to be removed “as quickly as possible.” While Lord Mandelson will cease to be a member of the upper chamber from midnight, his title of “Lord” would not be stripped, as it is legally distinct from Lords membership.

The former Labour cabinet minister was awarded a life peerage in 2008. He had been on a leave of absence from the House of Lords since 31 January last year following his appointment as the UK’s ambassador to Washington, a role from which he was dismissed in September after further details emerged about his links to Epstein.

The development marks the latest chapter in a dramatic fall from grace. On Sunday, Lord Mandelson resigned his Labour Party membership, saying he wished to avoid causing the party “further embarrassment,” after newly released files appeared to show he received payments totalling $75,000 from Epstein.

Documents released by the United States Department of Justice include three apparent bank statements indicating three transfers of $25,000 each in 2003 and 2004 to a person named Peter Mandelson. At the time, Lord Mandelson was the Labour MP for Hartlepool. He has denied any record or recollection of the payments and questioned the authenticity of the documents.

In previous statements, Lord Mandelson acknowledged maintaining contact with Epstein after the financier’s conviction and apologised for that decision. “I was wrong to believe him following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards,” he said, adding an unequivocal apology “to the women and girls who suffered.” After resigning from Labour, he said he wanted to repeat that apology, stressing that victims’ voices “should have been heard long before now.”

Additional emails published in the latest tranche of files appear to show Lord Mandelson sharing information with Epstein from within government during his tenure as business secretary and de facto deputy prime minister under Gordon Brown. Lord Mandelson has not accepted wrongdoing and has previously disputed interpretations of his correspondence.

Following the publication of the documents, Metropolitan Police Commander Ella Marriott said the force had received a number of reports alleging misconduct in public office. “The reports will all be reviewed to determine if they meet the criminal threshold for investigation,” she said, adding that any new and relevant information would be assessed and investigated as appropriate.

The files also include a photograph purportedly showing Lord Mandelson wearing only underwear and a T-shirt in an apartment in Paris said to belong to Epstein. A spokesperson for Lord Mandelson previously told Sky News that it was not possible to confirm where or when the image was taken, or whether it had any connection to Epstein.

Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Lord Mandelson has said he feels “regretful and sorry” about the latest revelations linking him to the financier and the “understandable furore” surrounding the case.

Predator Awareness has contacted Lord Mandelson for further comment.