THE GOVERNMENT on Tuesday committed to releasing documents related to former prince Andrew’s appointment as trade envoy after the Jeffrey Epstein scandal widened with the arrest of a veteran UK politician.
The move follows the publication last month by US authorities of millions of files linked to late sex offender Epstein. The fallout has affected the British monarchy and political circles.
Pressure has increased on prime minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government to disclose documents concerning Andrew and former minister Peter Mandelson, both now under police investigation.
ALSO READ: Peter Mandelson released on bail after arrest over Epstein documents
Minister Chris Bryant told parliament the government would release vetting documents connected to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as trade envoy, a role he held from 2001 to 2011.
The decision followed action by the Liberal Democrats, the third largest party, who used a parliamentary mechanism known as a “humble address” to compel ministers to release the files. The documents relate to the period when Tony Blair was Labour prime minister 26 years ago.
Bryant said publishing the documents was “the least we owe the victims” of Epstein, adding that Andrew was “a rude, arrogant and entitled man”.
‘Stain on country’
Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal titles last year, is being investigated by police over allegations he shared sensitive documents with Epstein during his time as envoy.
He was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office. His brother King Charles said the “law must take its course”.
ALSO READ: Police arrest Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said Andrew’s association with Epstein, and that of Mandelson, who was bailed in the early hours of Tuesday, were a “stain on our country”.
“We must begin to clean away that stain with the disinfectant of transparency,” he said.
The Liberal Democrats’ motion passed without a vote after receiving government support.
Bryant said he wanted to “manage people’s expectations” about the timing of the release due to the age and volume of the documents and the ongoing police investigation.
Mountbatten-Windsor has denied wrongdoing.
Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, said she was trafficked three times to have sex with the British royal, starting in 2001 and twice when she was 17.
Andrew settled a US civil lawsuit brought by Giuffre in 2022 without admitting liability.
The push to release Andrew’s files comes as the government prepares to publish in early March a first set of documents related to Mandelson’s 2024 appointment as UK ambassador in Washington.
The Conservative party had earlier used a “humble address” to compel the release of those documents.
‘Pushed appointment’
Mandelson, a senior political figure for decades and Britain’s envoy to Washington until September, is under a separate misconduct in public office investigation linked to his association with Epstein.
His appointment led to two of Starmer’s top aides resigning and raised questions about the prime minister’s judgement.
Starmer removed Mandelson as envoy after seven months following reports about the extent of his ties to Epstein.
Files released later appear to show Mandelson passed financial information to Epstein while serving as UK business secretary around 2009–2010.
At the time of Andrew’s appointment as trade envoy, Mandelson was a senior figure in Blair’s Labour government and was known as the “Prince of Darkness”.
Mountbatten-Windsor’s biographer Andrew Lownie told AFP that Blair and Mandelson “pushed his appointment through”.
Mandelson has apologised for his friendship with Epstein and said he was unaware of the financier’s sexual offences, despite Epstein’s 2008 conviction for child prostitution.
He was arrested on Monday and questioned before being released on bail early Tuesday.
In a statement, his law firm Mishcon de Reya said the arrest was due to a “baseless” concern that he was a flight risk.
The firm said there was “absolutely no truth” in claims he was “planning to leave the country and take up permanent residence abroad”, adding that he intended to cooperate with police and “clear his name”.
Neither Mandelson nor Andrew has been charged.
Starmer has apologised to Epstein’s victims for appointing Mandelson and accused him of lying about the extent of his ties to Epstein during the vetting process.
Police said on Tuesday evening they had “now ended” a search of an address in Berkshire, west of London, linked to Andrew’s arrest.
The property is believed to be Andrew’s former residence, Royal Lodge, on the Windsor estate.
(With inputs from agencies)
