LONDON

UK Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has revealed that he was the source of a tip-off to police that led to the arrest of Peter Mandelson.

Peter Mandelson, a former British business secretary and ambassador to the US, was released on bail, the London Metropolitan Police said Tuesday, hours after his Monday arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to convicted American pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Mandelson has said he was arrested after police were informed he was planning to leave the country, an allegation he insists was incorrect.

He claims the intervention resulted in officers detaining him rather than allowing him to attend an interview voluntarily.

Speaking in the Commons on Wednesday, Hoyle confirmed that he had personally contacted the Metropolitan police after receiving information he believed to be relevant.

“Members will be aware of comments in the media regarding the arrest of Lord Mandelson. To prevent any inaccurate speculation, I’d like to confirm that upon receipt of information, I felt it was relevant I pass this on to the Metropolitan police in good faith, as is my duty and responsibility," he said.

"It is regrettable this rapidly ended in the media. As this is a live investigation, members will understand … it would not be appropriate to make any further comment, and I’d like to caution members from doing so," he added.

Hoyle did not provide details of the information he received, citing the ongoing investigation.

Mandelson's arrest

Mandelson’s arrest stems from a criminal investigation following claims that he leaked government emails to Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019.

The revelations -- which have already contributed to the resignations of senior aides to Prime Minister Keir Starmer -- have reignited scrutiny of Mandelson’s past associations and drawn comparisons to some of Britain’s most damaging political scandals.

His reported ties to Epstein have fueled a political crisis described by some commentators as the most serious since the Profumo affair of the early 1960s, which ended the career of Secretary of State for War John Profumo.

Mandelson, long dubbed a political "spin doctor" and the "Prince of Darkness" for his strategic prowess and backroom influence, saw his decades-long career conclude with recent resignations from both the Labour Party and the House of Lords.

He became British ambassador to the US in February 2025 but was sacked in September after Downing Street said new information about the depth of his relationship with Epstein had emerged.

The government said it expects to release the first documents relating to his appointment as envoy to the US in “early March.”