UK government supports release of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's trade envoy documents

The UK government says it supports the release of documents on ex-prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's past role as a trade envoy, hours after a veteran politician was quizzed by police in the widening Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

US authorities last month published millions of files related to late sex offender Epstein, containing revelations that have rocked British political and royal circles.

It has ramped up pressure on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's government to release its own vetting documents and sparked two separate, high-profile police investigations.

The Liberal Democrats Party tabled a motion in parliament on Tuesday to force the government to release vetting documents on Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's appointment as trade envoy, a post he held from 2001 to 2011.

The former prince was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and his brother, King Charles III, said the "law must take its course".

Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey said Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's association with Epstein, and that of former government minister Peter Mandelson, who was arrested on Monday, were a "stain on our country".

"We must begin to clean away that stain with the disinfectant of transparency," he said.

The push for the files on Andrew comes as the government prepares to release in March a first set of documents relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as UK ambassador in Washington.

Lord Mandelson, a key figure in British politics for decades and Britain's envoy to Washington till September, was arrested on Monday in a separate misconduct in public office probe, also related to his links to Epstein.

'Rude, entitled'

Lord Mandelson's appointment has triggered a political storm, with two of Sir Keir's top aides resigning over the row and raising questions about the prime minister's judgement.

Minister Chris Bryant told parliament the government supported the release of the vetting documents from Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's appointment as envoy under then-Labour prime minister Tony Blair 26 years ago.

He said it was "the least we owe the victims" of Epstein, adding the former prince was "a rude, arrogant and entitled man".

Mr Bryant cautioned, however, that the government would have to be guided by police as to what documents could be released so as not to jeopardise their investigation.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his titles last year, is being probed by police over allegations that he shared sensitive documents with Epstein during his time as envoy.

The former prince, long embroiled in scandals over his friendship with the late US sex offender, has denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, claimed she was trafficked three times to have sex with Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, starting in 2001 and twice when she was 17.

The ex-prince settled a US civil lawsuit in 2022 brought by Ms Roberts Giuffre while not admitting liability.

When Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was appointed trade envoy, Lord Mandelson was then a pivotal figure in the party, helping to secure Mr Blair's election victory, ousting the Conservatives.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's biographer, Andrew Lownie, told AFP that Mr Blair and Lord Mandelson "pushed his appointment through".

'Push ahead'

The motion brought to parliament — called a "humble address" — was used successfully this month to compel Sir Keir to release documents related to Lord Mandelson's 2024 appointment as ambassador to Washington.

Lord Mandelson was sacked from the top envoy role after just seven months over revelations about the depth of his ties to Epstein.

Government minister Bridget Phillipson told Sky News on Tuesday the government would "push ahead" with publishing the first of thousands of Lord Mandelson documents in "early March", despite his arrest.

She also cautioned that the police investigation could determine which documents were released.

Sir Keir has apologised to Epstein's victims for appointing Lord Mandelson, and has accused the ex-envoy of lying about the extent of his ties to the tycoon during the vetting process for his Washington posting.

Lord Mandelson, who was released on bail early on Tuesday, has previously apologised for his friendship with Epstein and insisted he did not know about the financier's sexual offences, despite Epstein's 2008 conviction for child prostitution.

Neither Lord Mandelson nor Mr Mountbatten-Windsor have been charged with any offence.

AFP