00:00To learn that there was a cabinet minister leaking sensitive information at the height
00:08of the response to the 2008 crash is beyond infuriating and I am as angry as the public
00:16and any member of this house. Mandelson betrayed our country, our parliament and my party.
00:24He lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein before and during
00:33his tenure as ambassador. I regret appointing him. If I knew then what I know now, he would
00:41never have been anywhere near government. That is why yesterday the cabinet secretary,
00:48with my support, took the decision to refer material to the police and there is now a
00:54criminal investigation. I have instructed my team to draft legislation to strip Mandelson
01:00of his title and wider legislation to remove disgraced peers. This morning I have agreed
01:08with His Majesty the King that Mandelson should be removed from the list of Privy Councillors
01:15on grounds that he has brought the reputation of the Privy Council into disrepute.
01:20Did he know that Mandelson had continued his friendship with Epstein after the conviction?
01:28What was not known was the depth, the sheer depth and extent of the relationship. He lied
01:36about that to everyone for years. A new information was published in September showing the relationship
01:44was materially different to what we had been led to believe. I intend to make sure that
01:50all of the material is published. The only exemptions are national security, if it prejudice national
02:03security. My first duty is obviously to keep this country safe. When we drafted humble addresses,
02:09we always put an exemption for national security, but also anything that will prejudice international
02:15relations. You and the House will appreciate that, in the course of discussions country to
02:21country, there are very sensitive issues of security, intelligence and trade which cannot
02:28be disclosed without compromising the relationship between the two countries or a third country. I can be totally open with the House.
02:37I should also disclose that the Metropolitan Police have been in touch with my office this morning
02:47to raise issues about anything that would prejudice their investigations. We are in discussion with
02:53them about that, and I hope to be able to update the House, but I do think I should make that clear to the
02:58House at this point because those discussions are ongoing.
03:04Thank you very much.
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