An email has revealed that an assistant to Peter Mandelson sent a government speech to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before it was publicly delivered.
The message, dated 24 July 2009, was sent just two days after Epstein was released from prison for sexual offending. It appears to have been sent from a government email address to Epstein’s Gmail account. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on behalf of the assistant.
Lord Mandelson is currently under police investigation for misconduct in public office.
Email from Government Account Sent Before Birkbeck University Speech
The email from Lord Mandelson’s assistant reads: “Peter has asked me to forward you the attached speech he is delivering on Monday. Thanks.”
The attachment was titled BirkbeckFINAL.doc, while the subject line stated “HE Speech” – potentially referring to higher education.
Three days later, Lord Mandelson delivered the speech at Birkbeck, University of London. According to a contemporary report by the Financial Times, he outlined the government’s expectation that university tuition fees would rise and said British university courses should be marketed internationally.
At the time, he was serving as business secretary and had only recently taken on responsibility for tertiary education. The address marked his first major speech on the subject in that role.
The email chain includes a footer stating it was sent via the Government Secure Intranet. Individuals who worked in the higher education sector at the time told Sky News they could not determine whether early access to the speech would have given Epstein any financial advantage.
Police Investigation into Misconduct in Public Office Continues
Emails contained within the so-called Epstein files show Lord Mandelson contacting Epstein for advice on several issues.
Nick Hillman, who was working for the Conservative shadow education team at the time, said, “I cannot fathom why Peter Mandelson thought this would be of interest to the sort of people with the power to move the markets.”
Sky News approached the Cabinet Office to ask whether it would examine the decision to send the speech outside government channels. It was directed instead to the ongoing police investigation into misconduct in public office, which so far has identified only Lord Mandelson as being connected.
The Metropolitan Police referred reporters to an earlier statement, saying: “This will be a complex investigation requiring a significant amount of further evidence gathering and analysis.
“It will take some time to do this work comprehensively and we will not be providing a running commentary.”
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Legal experts told Sky News that the threshold for prosecuting misconduct in public office is high.
Jo Grady, head of the University and College Union, said: “This is yet another example of Mandelson’s close ties to the convicted paedophile, and he should be made to explain why he was giving Epstein advance sight of his speeches on the funding of higher education.
“Our thoughts should always be with the victims who have suffered at the hands of these abusive and powerful men. But we should not forget that Mandelson’s impact on public life has been corrosive, and this includes higher education.”
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