10 hours ago
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Richard Wheeler,Political reporterand Lucy Manning,Special correspondent
UK Parliament/PA
Lord Forsyth said it was "entirely false" to suggest he was the source of the police tip-off
The Metropolitan Police has apologised to the Speaker of the House of Lords after he was incorrectly identified as the source of information relating to Lord Mandelson's arrest.
Officers met Lord Forsyth earlier on Thursday after he requested urgent talks to understand how his name came to be mentioned.
Lord Mandelson's lawyers said police officers arrested the former ambassador to the US at his London home on Monday because of a "baseless" suggestion he was planning to "take up permanent residence abroad".
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle on Wednesday confirmed he had passed on information to the force suggesting Lord Mandelson could be a flight risk.
The BBC understands that Lord Mandelson's lawyers were twice told by the police that information about his alleged travel plans had been passed on by Lord Forsyth.
On Tuesday evening, the Lord Speaker denied any involvement after he was initially reported as the source of the referral.
He called the suggestion "entirely false and without foundation".
On Wednesday, Sir Lindsay told MPs that he had given "relevant" information to police and he had done this "in good faith", considering it to be his "duty and responsibility".
He did not provide any details, but the BBC understands Sir Lindsay passed on information he received in the British Virgin Islands during a visit last week that Lord Mandelson was planning to travel there.
The Met apologised on Wednesday to Sir Lindsay for "inadvertently revealing" he was the source of information relating to Lord Mandelson's arrest.
After Lord Forsyth met officers on Thursday, the force said in a statement: "The Met has also apologised to the Speaker of the House of Lords, following the inadvertent revealing of information into allegations of misconduct in public office."
The Met launched an investigation earlier this month over allegations that Lord Mandelson, while he was serving as a minister, had passed on market-sensitive government information to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The BBC understands that Lord Mandelson's position is that he has not acted in any way criminally and that he was not motivated by financial gain.
Lawyers for the peer said he intends to co-operate with police to "clear his name".
Lord Mandelson was taken to Wandsworth police station in London for interview, before later being released on bail pending further investigation.
It is understood he surrendered his passport as one of his bail conditions.
Lord Mandelson became the British ambassador to the US in February 2025.
He was sacked in September after Downing Street said new information about the depth of his relationship with Epstein had emerged.
The allegations against Lord Mandelson emerged after the US Department of Justice released a tranche of documents last month, including emails between him and Epstein.
