Epstein files latest: Police 'assessing' new claim Andrew sent confidential reports to Epstein

Back in the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure from those in his own party after the revelations of Lord Peter Mandelson in the Epstein files.

Anas Sarwar, the Labour leader in Scotland, has called for Starmer to resign at a press conference in the last few minutes, saying "the leadership in Downing Street has become a huge distraction".

"There have been too many incidences where the wrong judgement calls have been made, there have been too many mistakes, and that is distracting from the vital work of government," he said.

Addressing Mandelson directly, Sarwar added: "He has betrayed this country, he has betrayed the party he was once a member of, and he has betrayed the public in terms of his actions and his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

The US justice department will allow members of Congress to review unredacted versions of the latest Epstein files.

According to a letter sent to lawmakers, obtained by the Associated Press, Congress members will be able to look at the more than three million files in their original form from today.

Washington released the documents to comply with a law passed by Congress last year. 

Many documents in the files have some details redacted, including names, email addresses and faces in photographs and videos of women and girls who may have been victims of Epstein.

Lawyers representing some survivors have hit out at what they perceive as "privacy violations" in the files.

Survivors of the crimes committed by Epstein who have spoken out themselves include Danielle Bensky, Lisa Phillips and Jess Michaels.

On what she thought were confidential conversations with FBI investigators about Epstein being included in the files, Bensky said: "It feels a bit deliberate. It feels like a bit of an attack on survivors."

Ghislaine Maxwell will be questioned by the US House Oversight Committee this afternoon as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

She intends to refuse to answer questions at the behind-closed-doors deposition, according to a letter from US representative Ro Khanna.

Maxwell was found guilty in 2021 for her role in helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

According to Khanna's letter to committee chair James Comer, Maxwell plans to invoke her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and refuse to answer all substantive questions.

We reported earlier on the King being heckled about his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on a visit to Lancashire this morning (see 10.39 post).

A picture has now come through showing a man in the crowd appearing to shout in the direction of the King while holding up his mobile phone.

A member of the public shouted at the King "How long have you known about Andrew?" as he greeted crowds at the town's train station.

The rest of the crowd booed after the question was asked.

Thames Valley Police says it is assessing claims Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential documents with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as UK trade envoy. 

"We can confirm receipt of this report and are assessing the information in line with our established procedures," the force said.

An email exchange from 30 November 2010 - part of the latest release in the Epstein files - suggests Andrew forwarded Epstein "visit reports for Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shenzhen" relating to a visit he carried out around that time to South East Asia (see more in our post at 8.39am).

Andrew was the UK's special representative for trade and investment from 2001 to July 2011. As part of the role, he would frequently promote British business interests abroad.

The former duke vigorously denies any allegations against him in relation to Epstein.

A leading republican activist in the UK says he has reported Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to the police over revelations in the Epstein files.

Graham Smith posted on X:

"I have now reported Andrew to [Thames Valley Police] for suspected misconduct in public office and breach of official secrets in relation to these specific allegations. I cannot see any significant difference between these allegations and those against Peter Mandelson."

He acted in response to an email in the new file release that suggests Mountbatten-Windsor sent confidential documents to Epstein in 2010 when he was UK trade envoy (see more in our post at 8.39).

The former prince vigorously denies any allegations against him in relation to Epstein.

Smith is the chief executive of the Republic campaign group, which regularly holds events calling for the abolition of the monarchy.

A crowdfunding effort with the goal of bringing a "private prosecution" against Andrew has so far raised more than £24,000. 

Thames Valley Police has been contacted for comment.

Sir Keir Starmer has lost his second senior aide in 24 hours as he grapples with the fallout from the Epstein files.

Tim Allan, the prime minister's communications director, said he had decided to stand down "to allow a new Number 10 team to be built".

The departure is a further blow for Starmer, who is already fighting for his premiership due to the growing furore over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador in 2024.

Morgan McSweeney, his chief of staff, resigned yesterday, saying it was he who advised the prime minister to give Mandelson the job.

A Norwegian ambassador has resigned over her association with Jeffrey Epstein in another political casualty from the latest file release.

Epstein reportedly left the children of Mona Juul $10m (£7.3 m) in a will drawn up shortly before his death by suicide in a New York prison cell in 2019.

The 66-year-old, who was Norway's ambassador to Jordan, resigned last night after being suspended last week.

Juul's contact with Epstein showed a "serious lapse in judgment" and an investigation into the matter would continue, foreign minister Espen Barth Eide said.

Juul told the NTB Norwegian news agency it had been "imprecise" to describe her contact with Epstein as minimal, but that the contact originated in her husband's relationship with Epstein and she had no independent social or professional relationship with him. 

The contact had been sporadic and private and not part of her official government duties, she said.

A photograph of Jeffrey Epstein with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman or MBS, is in the latest file release.

In the image, both men smile, with MBS's arm around Epstein's shoulder, as they stand in a room decorated with furniture and portraits.

The US justice department released the photograph without any context - it's unclear where or when it was taken or who by. Being mentioned or appearing in the Epstein files does not imply any wrongdoing.

The photograph takes on extra pertinence today as Prince William begins an official visit to Saudi Arabia to meet MBS, having raised concerns about the Epstein files in relation to his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

William will spend the first day of his three-day tour of the country with MBS.

He and his wife, the Princess of Wales, shared their first public statement on the Epstein revelations this morning (see 9.00 post).

The King has been heckled in public again on a visit to the town of Clitheroe in northwest England.

A member of the public shouted at the King "How long have you known about Andrew?" as he greeted crowds at the town's train station.

The rest of the crowd booed after the question was asked.

The King was heckled over the Epstein revelations last Thursday while on a visit to Essex.