Opposition parties have called for police to investigate allegations that Peter Mandelson leaked sensitive UK government tax plans to Jeffrey Epstein when he was the business secretary.

The Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party (SNP), and Plaid Cymru, have all released statements urging for a police investigation. 

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, also repeated his call for an investigation in the House of Commons today.

The confidential document, released by the US Department of Justice as part of millions of files relating to Epstein, was written by Nick Butler, a special adviser to Gordon Brown, the prime minister at the time.

Mandelson forwarded the memo to Epstein in 2009, captioning it: "Interesting note that's gone to the PM."

The revelation will add to the pressure on the former British ambassador to Washington, who resigned his membership from the Labour Party yesterday.

Lord Mandelson has been approached for comment.

On his relationship with Epstein he has previously said: "I was wrong to believe Epstein following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards. I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered."

Butler told Paste BN: "I don't have any comment beyond being shocked by the betrayal of trust involved."

Lord Mandelson leaked sensitive UK government tax plans to Jeffrey Epstein when he was business secretary, emails appear to show. 

The confidential document, released by the US Department of Justice as part of millions of files relating to Epstein, was written by Nick Butler, a special adviser to Gordon Brown, the prime minister at the time.

Mandelson forwarded the memo to Epstein in 2009, captioning it: "Interesting note that's gone to the PM."

The revelation will add to the pressure on the former British ambassador to Washington, who resigned his membership from the Labour Party yesterday.

Lord Mandelson has been approached for comment.

On his relationship with Epstein he has previously said: "I was wrong to believe Epstein following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards. I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered."

Butler told Paste BN: "I don't have any comment beyond being shocked by the betrayal of trust involved."

The prime minister has ducked calls for him to apologise to the victims of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US.

Sir Keir Starmer appointed Lord Mandelson to the top diplomatic post in December 2024 and took up the role last year.

But he had to resign seven months later, amid growing allegations that he continued his friendship with Epstein long after the paedophile received his first conviction.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn points to the latest revelations coming out about Mandelson over the weekend - which are being released by the US Congress - and asks if he will "offer an unreserved apology" to Epstein's victims. 

But Starmer swerves the question, and declines to do so.

He says: "Only the SNP, could go about this on the way. 

"Instead of welcoming the halving of tariffs on Scottish whisky, he raises things that got absolutely nothing to do with China or Japan. 

"Only the SNP have got no interest in at all in delivering for Scotland."

There is a ministerial statement by the PM's chief secretary, Darren Jones, coming up shortly.

It is worth noting that Mandelson has recently said: "I was wrong to believe Epstein following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards. 

"I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered."

Sir Keir Starmer has insisted the UK does not have to choose between engaging with China and Europe.

Responding to a question from Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, the PM says: "Of course, we need to build stronger alliances with our key partners. And that's what we have been doing, particularly with the EU. 

"But he's wrong. It's not a choice between doing that and engaging with China. One can do both. And that is what we're doing."

He adds that the UK should still engage with those where there are "really important disagreements".

"The difference between us is we think that having a leader to leader meeting to discuss those issues is better than sticking your head in the sand if you really want to influence that," he says.

The PM also confirms that he raised the issue of Hong Kongers in the UK and the threats they face in the UK from China.

He concludes with his central argument of today's statement: "There is, frankly, no point standing in this house shouting and screaming about issues if you're not prepared to get in the room to discuss them.

"It gets you absolutely nowhere."

Kemi Badenoch has hit out at the prime minister for his visit to China, saying he has taken a "supine and short-termist approach".

The leader of the Conservatives says she welcomed his engagement with Japan, but then heavily criticised his interactions with Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

She previously said she would not have made the trip if she was PM.

Badenoch tells MPs: "Of course, Britain should engage with China, even though the chancellor wasn't allowed to go, even though they are an authoritarian state who seek to undermine our interests, even though they spy on us, sometimes within the walls of this building.

"It is not the prime minister engaging with China that we take issue with. What we are criticising is his supine and short-termist approach."

Badenoch then hits out at Starmer's decision to approve plans for a new UK Chinese embassy in London.

She says: "Before the prime minister even got on the plane, he'd already shown that he would do anything to demonstrate his good relationship with China."

Sir Keir Starmer has defended his trip to China, saying it will "be impossible to safeguard our national interest without engaging" with China.

The prime minister also accuses the Conservatives of "hiding away and sticking their heads in the sand".

He points to the previous three PMs holding no meetings with Xi Jinping while in office, while the French visited three times and the Germans, four times.

Starmer continues: "Refusing to engage would be a dereliction of duty, leaving British interests on the sideline. 

"And incredibly, some in this house still advocate that approach. But leaders do not hide."

He adds: "Protecting our national security is non-negotiable."

He then turns to ethical issues that he raised with President Xi.

"I raised the case of Jimmy Lai and called for his release, making clear the strength of feeling in this House. 

"Those discussions will continue," he says. 

Starmer says he also had an "extremely productive" meeting with the PM of Japan and said the pair discussed how they can "boost growth and economic resilience".

Sir Keir Starmer is in the chamber and about to begin his statement to MPs on his visit to China. 

The PM became the first British leader to visit the country in eight years, when he carried out the trip last week. 

Starmer held meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, and announced a series of measures including visa-free travel, lowered tariffs on whisky exports, intelligence sharing on small boat crossings and the end of Chinese sanctions on MPs and peers. 

Expect to hear more about those again in a minute. The PM is also likely to defend his decision to visit China, and his spokesperson's refusal to rule out the possibility of inviting Xi to Britain. 

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said she wouldn't have travelled to China.

Starmer also met the Japanese PM, when he dropped into Tokyo over the weekend - so, we expect to hear how that visit went too. 

You can watch his statement live in the stream above, and we'll bring you the latest - right here on the Politics Hub.

Former prime minister Gordon Brown has written to the UK's top civil servant asking for an investigation into allegations Peter Mandelson leaked confidential information to Jeffrey Epstein while he was serving as business secretary in Brown's government

In a statement, Brown said: "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."

Brown said he had previously asked the cabinet secretary to look into allegations about Mandelson's links to Epstein in September.

"On 10 September 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 19 November that no departmental record could be found of any information or communication from Lord Mandelson to Mr Epstein on these issues," Brown said.

Brown continued: "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 enquiry 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 enquiry be published and done so as soon as possible."

It comes after emails appeared to show conversations between the pair about government and political matters while Lord Mandelson was serving as business secretary and the de-facto deputy prime minister in 2009, in Brown's government.

The UK's top civil servant is to review contact between Epstein and Lord Mandelson.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the prime minister had asked the cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald to "urgently" review "all available information regarding Lord Mandelson's contacts with Jeffrey Epstein during his period as a government minister".

Paste BN has approached representatives for Lord Mandelson for comment.

On other claims, Lord Mandelson questioned the authenticity of the documents, citing false claims he had a US social security number, questionable US-dollar cheque payments into UK banks, incorrect beneficiary details, and multiple basic errors in dates, spelling and formatting.

Lord Mandelson said: "There are also multiple formatting errors in the documents and I would like JP Morgan to confirm on the record that they are certain these documents are authentic and that the individual cheques are also authentic. 

"Until this fact checking has been achieved I maintain my original position which is that I have no record and no recollection of ever receiving these sums and that these statements are false."

He added: "I was wrong to believe Epstein following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards. I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered."

 Sir Keir Starmer has ignored questions about the growing scandal around Lord Mandelson, in his first public appearance since revelations began to emerge over the weekend.

The PM was seen leaving Number 10 and getting in a car to head to parliament, where he will be making a statement shortly.

As he was leaving, the prime minister was asked by journalists whether he is embarrassed to have put his trust in Peter Mandelson - but he didn't give an answer.

Coming up...

Starmer will be giving an update on his trip to China and Japan in the Commons at around 3.30pm.

Then, around an hour later, Chief Secretary to the PM Darren Jones will be making a statement to MPs on the latest Mandelson allegations, and the government's position.

MPs will be given about an hour to quiz both Starmer and Jones respectively on these topics. 

Of course, we'll bring you the latest from both of these - right here on the Politics Hub.

Another email exchange between Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein released in the latest tranche of files provides a further glimpse at the pair's relationship.

On 19 October 2011, Epstein and Mandelson exchange emails concerning travel and accommodation before the latter tells Epstein, "You don't care about me any more".

Epstein replies: "Rubbish."

Click below to read more about this and other details from the release of millions of Epstein documents in our other live blog.