𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Gordon Brown has demanded a formal probe into Lord Mandelson’s alleged leaking of government secrets to Jeffrey Epstein while the peer was serving as business secretary.

Fresh emails published by the US Department of Justice appear to show Lord Mandelson giving the paedophile billionaire market-sensitive tip-offs around government asset sales and European bailouts.

In another email, Lord Mandelson suggests that the president of JP Morgan should “mildly threaten” Alistair Darling to persuade the then-chancellor against levying a tax on bankers’ bonuses during the financial crisis.

Mr Brown, who brought Lord Mandelson back to government as one of his most powerful ministers, has called on the Cabinet Secretary to urgently investigate the claims.

The Liberal Democrats have said there should be a police probe into whether Lord Mandelson committed misconduct in public office.

Breaking his silence about the Lord Mandelson Epstein scandal, Mr Brown said on Monday: “I have today asked the Cabinet Secretary to investigate the disclosure of confidential and market-sensitive information from the then-business department during the global financial crisis.

“On September 10 last year, I wrote to the Cabinet Secretary to ask him to investigate the veracity of information contained in the Epstein papers about the sale of assets arising from the banking collapse and communications about them between Lord Mandelson and Mr Epstein.

“That enquiry led to a response on November 19 that no departmental record could be found of any information or communication from Lord Mandelson to Mr Epstein on these issues.

“Given the shocking new information that has come to light in the latest tranche of Epstein papers, including information about the transfer to Mr Epstein of at least one highly sensitive government document as well as other highly confidential information, I have now written to ask for a wider and more intensive inquiry to take place into the wholly unacceptable disclosure of government papers and information during the period when the country was battling the global financial crisis.

“Given the public interest in this, I have asked that the results of the inquiry be published and done so as soon as possible.”

In 2010, emails between Lord Mandelson and Mr Epstein showed the minister giving the billionaire invester a heads-up that there would be a €500billion bailout to save the euro, the night before it was announced by the EU.

In 2009, Lord Mandelson appeared to be secretly advising JP Morgan’s chief executive, Jamie Dimon, on how to fight Labour’s planned bankers’ bonus tax, adding that he should “mildly threaten” the Mr Darling.

On December 15 that year, Mr Epstein asked Lord Mandelson if the tax could be applied only to cash bonuses and not to non-cash bonuses. The peer replied that he was “trying hard to amend” the tax within government.

Other emails containing market-sensitive discussions from the heart of No 10 were also forwarded to Mr Epstein, and one appears to show the investor being alerted to a planned sell-off of government assests.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: “The Epstein files suggest Peter Mandelson leaked sensitive government information to a convicted sex offender while serving as a minister, and even suggested a US bank should threaten the government to lower its tax bill.

“These allegations are incredibly serious, it is now only right that the police investigate Peter Mandelson for potential misconduct in public office.”