Mandelson v the Met: what the statement issued after his arrest tells us

 

Analysis

Mandelson v the Met: what the statement issued after his arrest tells us

Ben Quinn

Political correspondent

Former Labour MP’s lawyers Mishcon de Reya issued short statement on his behalf that ended up saying an awful lot

 

Wed 25 Feb 2026 13.34 GMT

 

It didn’t take long for Peter Mandelson to go public. Only a few hours after he was pictured on Tuesday returning home after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office, he hit back. His lawyers issued a short statement that said an awful lot and attempted to pack a punch – several, actually.

 

It showed that the veteran of multiple past political controversies intends to do what he has always done: work the problem.

 

Here we break down what the statement said and why it was significant.

 

Peter Mandelson was arrested yesterday despite an agreement with the police that he would attend an interview next month on a voluntary basis.

 

The first thing to note is that the statement came from his lawyers at Mishcon de Reya, a London firm widely regarded as the best and most expensive in the business.

 

The firm advises on “the full spectrum of reputation protection and crisis management issues”. It has acted for politicians and others by preparing them for appearances before select committees and public inquiries.

 

The first line sets the scene. Mandelson had agreed to speak to police voluntarily as soon as next month.

 

The arrest was prompted by a baseless suggestion that he was planning to leave the country and take up permanent residence abroad. There is absolutely no truth whatsoever in any such suggestion.

 

These are highly aggressive lines and true to form when it comes to the modus operandi of both Mishcon and Mandelson.

 

Remember the defiant speech he gave after defending his Hartlepool seat in the 2001 general election? “I’m a fighter, not a quitter,” he had exclaimed after resigning from government for a second time.

 

We have asked the MPS for the evidence relied upon to justify the arrest.

 

This is a classic legal judo manoeuvre, boldly attempting to flip the focus back on to the Metropolitan Police Service. The ball is being bounced back into the court of detectives who will be attempting to walk a politically tortuous line between proceeding with the investigation in the right way and ensuring no hostages to fortune are left that could upset a future trial.

 

“Give us the evidence you had,” Mishcon and Mandelson are demanding, as the cameras shift away from the former politician’s home and on to Scotland Yard.

 

Peter Mandelson’s overriding priority is to cooperate with the police investigation, as he has done throughout this process, and to clear his name.

 

 

This asserts that Mandelson sees himself as a law-abiding citizen who will, of course, adhere to his responsibilities.

 

It also makes clear that he is going to fight the substantive allegations. He has said repeatedly that he made no financial gain. Have his lawyers spotted possible weaknesses in any potential attempt to charge or prosecute him? Misconduct in public office is a particularly hard offence to prove.

 

True to the form of New Labour briefing, which Mandelson pioneered in the 1990s, the former MP is understood to have sent a message to friends in the early hours of Tuesday, hours after he was released from police custody. This was in parallel to the public statement and sought to continue to shape the public narrative.

 

The notion that he was about to “flee to the British Virgin Islands” was “complete fiction”, the message said.