Lord Mandelson, a 72-year-old former government minister, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, according to the Metropolitan Police.
The arrest occurred on Monday at an address in Camden, north London, and was carried out by officers from the Met's central specialist crime division, as reported by the BBC.
A police statement confirmed that the arrest follows search warrants at two addresses in Wiltshire and Camden, and is part of an investigation launched earlier this month.
Background to the Investigation
The investigation centers on allegations that Lord Mandelson passed on market-sensitive government information to the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a government minister.
Lord Mandelson has not publicly commented on the allegations, but the BBC understands that he maintains he has not acted in any way criminally and was not motivated by financial gain.
Reaction to the Arrest
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described Lord Mandelson's arrest as "the defining moment of Sir Keir's premiership", adding that the prime minister was "weak" in his handling of the situation.
Darren Jones, chief secretary to the prime minister, stated that records detailing follow-up questions posed by No 10 during the initial due diligence process for Lord Mandelson's appointment would not be published due to the ongoing police investigation.
Next Steps
Consultations between the police and the Crown Prosecution Service are ongoing, and the government has said it expects to release documents related to Lord Mandelson's appointment in "early March".
