Peter Mandelson has been arrested by police at his London home amid a probe into alleged misconduct in public office.
The former Labour grandee was seen getting into a vehicle flanked by detectives this afternoon.
The Metropolitan Police said a 72-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and taken into custody.
Three officers turned up in two unmarked vehicles at Lord Mandelson’s address in Regent’s Park, north-west London at around 4:15pm.
They went inside the property, and around half an hour later Mandelson left in a police car.
A spokesperson for Scotland Yard said: ‘Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
‘He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday, 23 February and has been taken to a London police station for interview.
‘This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas.’
It came after police raided his homes in London and Wiltshire a fortnight ago.
Peter Mandelson has today been arrested by police at his London home
The former Labour grandee was seen getting into a vehicle flanked by detectives this afternoon
He had been spotted at both addresses in recent days, after a period of lying low in London following the release of the second batch of the Epstein files.
Earlier in February police officers arrived outside Mandelson’s £7.6million house near Regent’s Park – which the politician bought in 2011 following advice from Epstein.
The officers knocked on the door and entered the house, with one of them wearing what appeared to be a small body camera.
The officers were seen collecting items from their car, including a blue box and a large bag, before re-entering the property.
Lord Mandelson’s arrest comes days after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
He was released on Thursday evening after 12 hours in custody. The former Duke of York has previously denied any wrongdoing.
The Metropolitan Police earlier this month launched an investigation following allegations that Lord Mandelson sent market-sensitive information to Epstein while he was business secretary in Gordon Brown’s government during the financial crisis.
Scotland Yard said its probe into Lord Mandelson over alleged misconduct in public office would ‘take some time’ after officers finished searching his homes in London and Wiltshire.
Lord Mandelson has denied the Epstein files show he broke any laws or acted for personal gain. He has repeatedly said he regrets his friendship with Epstein.
It comes after MPs were told the first tranche of documents related to Lord Mandelson’s appointment as the US ambassador is expected to be released within weeks.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones told the Commons that the first release demanded by MPs on February 4 would happen ‘very shortly in early March’.
Documents released in the US Epstein Files showed he leaked information to the billionaire child abuser while he was a government minister during the Blair era.
Three officers turned up in two unmarked vehicles at Lord Mandelson’s address in Regent’s Park, north-west London at around 4.15pm
Lord Mandelson is pictured and mentioned many times throughout the released Epstein files
That led to calls for details of how he came to be made the UK’s top official in Washington last year to be made public.
However, shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood criticised the delay, saying it would mean a month or so had passed since a so-called ‘humble address’ was passed by MPs – including Labour – to force the government to act.
‘That is not a polite suggestion, it is a formal commend from parliament to the executive,’ he said.
‘Three weeks later the government’s progress moves with the urgency of a tired sloth on a Bank Holiday Monday.’
Lord Mandelson earlier this month bowed to public pressure and resigned his seat in the House of Lords.
His former lobbying business collapsed into administration last Friday after an exodus of clients following revelations about his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Global Counsel, which has offices in cities including London, Berlin, Doha and Washington DC, announced it had stopped trading – with the majority of its 80-strong UK staff made redundant.
The Metropolitan Police earlier this month launched an investigation following allegations that Mandelson sent market-sensitive information to Epstein while he was business secretary in Gordon Brown’s government during the financial crisis.
Scotland Yard said its probe into Lord Mandelson over alleged misconduct in public office would ‘take some time’ after officers finished searching his homes in London and Wiltshire.
Lord Mandelson has denied the Epstein files show he broke any laws or acted for personal gain. He has repeatedly said he regrets his friendship with Epstein.
