'Shocked, sad, angry, betrayed, let down': Gordon Brown on former ally Peter Mandelson

Peter Mandelson committed a "betrayal of his country" by allegedly leaking government secrets to Jeffrey Epstein and putting Britain "at risk", former prime minister Gordon Brown has said.

Lord Mandelson, his ex-business secretary, has been accused of sharing market-sensitive information with the US sex offender after the 2008 global financial crisis.

Mr Brown has since been asked about how he felt about his former colleague's behaviour, to which he replied he was "shocked, sad, angry, betrayed, let down".

"All of the information he passed on... the papers by other advisers were commercially sensitive; this was financially secret information," Mr Brown said.

"It meant that Britain was at risk because of that, the currency was at risk, some of the trading that would happen would be speculative as a result of that.

"There's no doubt that huge commercial damage could have been done and perhaps was done."

On Saturday afternoon, a top corporate and financial crime lawyer visited Lord Mandelson's house near Regent's Park, London.

Adrian Darbishire KC arrived at the property shortly before midday, before leaving around 90 minutes later.

Lord Mandelson's representatives have been contacted for comment.

He has previously said: "I was wrong to believe Epstein following his conviction [in 2008 for procuring a child for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute] and to continue my association with him afterwards.

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

It comes as police investigating claims of misconduct in a public office by Lord Mandelson have concluded their searches of two of his properties - in Camden, north London, and in Wiltshire.

The Metropolitan Police said the criminal investigation is "complex" and will require a "significant amount of further evidence gathering and analysis".

Mr Brown spoke after emails released as part of the Epstein files revealed the correspondence between Lord Mandelson and the paedophile financier.

In the messages, the former Labour peer appears to brief Epstein on internal discussions at the heart of UK government, including giving him advance notice of a €500bn EU bank bailout in 2010.

He also told him he was "trying hard" to change government policy on bankers' bonuses.

The then chancellor Alistair Darling announced a 50% "super tax" on bonuses in December 2009, in a bid to prevent pay being inflated by taxpayer-funded bailouts.

The documents further suggest that Epstein sent money to Lord Mandelson and his partner, Reinaldo Avila da Silva.

Lord Mandelson twice resigned from government amid controversy under Tony Blair, before Mr Brown brought him back into the cabinet.

"I made mistakes, I regret it, it shouldn't have happened," Mr Brown said.

He said he and his colleagues had been betrayed by Lord Mandelson.

But, he added, "the biggest betrayal was of the women and girls that were trafficked, that were exploited, that were treated as less than human".

He said Sir Keir Starmer had likewise made a mistake by appointing Lord Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to the US last year.

"Keir Starmer was misled and he was betrayed," Mr Brown said.

"He has clearly said it was the wrong decision, and it was the wrong decision. Just as I made a mistake, he made a mistake."

But the ex-prime minister also hailed the current one as a man of "integrity".

He blamed a "systemic failure" in vetting for Lord Mandelson's appointment.

"Mandelson, of course, did appear... to have an unblemished record as the trade commissioner for four years," he said.

"Nobody had ever heard of Epstein in the government, and nobody knew of any friendship between Epstein and Mandelson at that time."

Read more:
What do the Epstein files say about Lord Peter Mandelson?
Police search Peter Mandelson's properties

A government spokesperson said: "The shameful and disgraceful behaviour revealed this week is wholly incompatible with public service, and it is right that no one is above accountability... We have already strengthened the Ministerial Code... But Gordon Brown is right that further action is needed in light of what has emerged this week - and we have already begun urgent work on how we can do more."

'If he doesn't get rid of McSweeney, he's lost the confidence of PLP'

On Saturday, MP for Kingston upon Hull East, Karl Turner, called for Downing Street chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, to go following the Mandelson accusations. Many Labour MPs blame Mr McSweeney for the decision to appoint Lord Mandelson.

He told Sky News: "If the prime minister doesn't get rid of Mr McSweeney, he's lost the confidence of the PLP, it's as simple as that, I don't want it to be the case but it's true."

He said before that: "This prime minister would do well to listen to Gordon Brown. I think Gordon Brown should be brought in, actually, to sort out this mess and come up with a plan to clean politics up.

"I think that is something that Gordon would be willing to do, I think the prime minister ought to use him in that regard."

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