SNP demand investigation in Peter Mandelson after resignation over Epstein links
Peter Mandelson has resigned from the Labour Party after millions of documents into Jeffrey Epstein were released over the weekend.
Stephen Flynn is demanding “an immediate and swift investigation” into Peter Mandelson’s conduct in public office and his “repeated appointment to high office”.
Late on Sunday night Lord Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party, saying he wanted to save the party from “further embarrassment” over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
On Friday millions of new documents were released by the US government, including some which show Epstein paid Mandelson $75,000 in three separate transactions while he was the MP for Hartlepool.
The documents also show Epstein sent £10,000 to Mandelson’s partner Reinaldo Avila da Silva in 2009 - the pair are now married.
Mandelson said he has no record of these payments to himself in 2003 and 2004 and believes they are “false”, but will still investigate them.
On Monday morning the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn wrote to the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus, calling for all documents between Mandelson and Epstein to be released.
In his letter, Mr Flynn said: “Given the serious allegations that are still emerging regarding the extent of the relationship, political influence, and financial hold the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein had over Lord Mandelson - there is an urgent need for a full and swift investigation into Peter Mandelson’s conduct in public life and importantly - particularly in terms of your own remit - how and why he was ever appointed to high office by these Labour prime ministers.”
Mr Flynn said Sir Laurie should investigate the pair’s financial relationship, the vetting process for appointing Mandelson to high office, how much Labour prime ministers knew, and whether or not Sir Keir Starmer breached the ministerial code.
His letter added: “The only way to stop that slow drip, drip of allegations is to immediately launch a full and swift inquiry - into Mandelson himself and into how and why three Labour prime ministers repeatedly appointed him despite his relationship with Epstein.
“It is also wholly wrong that while congressional investigations are ongoing in Washington DC, no similar investigation is currently underway in Westminster following serious allegations against Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.”
Last month the SNP tabled a bill to strip Mandelson of his peerage and remove him from the House of Lords. Mr Flynn said this now needs to be revisited on the back of the weekend’s new revelations.
Mandelson was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US by Sir Keir in September following details of his relationship with Epstein emerging.
In his resignation letter, Mandelson said: “I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.
“Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.
“While doing this, I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.”
He added: “I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.”
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