Lord Peter Mandelson has sharply criticised his arrest by the Metropolitan Police, asserting that it was triggered by a “baseless suggestion” he intended to flee the United Kingdom rather than attend a previously agreed interview in connection with an ongoing investigation into alleged misconduct in public office.

Mandelson, a former senior minister and British ambassador to the United States, was taken into custody in London on February twenty-third and held for several hours before being released on bail pending further investigation.

He denies all wrongdoing and says he is cooperating fully with police inquiries.

Mandelson’s legal representatives said the decision to arrest him, despite an agreement with authorities that he would voluntarily participate in questioning in early March, was precipitated by claims—now denied—that he would relocate abroad, including to the British Virgin Islands with his husband and family.

He described the idea he would abscond as “complete fiction” and demanded that the Metropolitan Police provide the evidence on which its action was based.

The force has declined to comment on specifics of the case.

The arrest forms part of a broader criminal investigation into allegations that Mandelson, during his tenure as business secretary in the late two thousand and single-digit years, shared sensitive government information with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

These claims have gained renewed attention following the recent release of tens of thousands of pages of court documents by the United States Department of Justice.

The documents reportedly show communications in which Mandelson appeared to discuss confidential policy plans with Epstein, as well as records indicating financial transfers involving Epstein, Mandelson and his partner, which Mandelson has said he does not recall and is reviewing.

Earlier this year, amid intensifying scrutiny over these matters, Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party and stepped down from the House of Lords.

He was also dismissed from his post as ambassador in twenty-twenty-five by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer following preliminary disclosures about his association with Epstein, a decision that drew both public and political debate.

Mandelson’s arrest comes days after the detention of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, King Charles III’s brother, on similar allegations of misconduct in public office related to Epstein-linked material.

Both men have been released pending further police action.

Mandelson’s supporters and legal team emphasise his long record of public service and insist that he seeks to clear his name as the investigation continues, while critics say the case underscores significant concerns about transparency and conduct in public office.