Lord Mandelson is facing a fine of up to £300 for urinating in the street in Notting Hill, west London, last November. Kensington and Chelsea council is seeking to issue a fixed-penalty notice to Lord Mandelson over the incident, with the fine carrying a maximum of £300 within the borough, which can be reduced to £150 if paid within 14 days. Councillor Johnny Thalassites said the council is aware of images and investigating whether an offence has been committed.
Lord Mandelson apologized for the incident, stating he was stood up by two Uber drivers and kept waiting for half an hour. According to research, Mandelson was photographed relieving himself against a wall in Notting Hill in November following a dinner party with former UK chancellor George Osborne, with a photographer capturing the former cabinet minister relieving himself against a wall at around 11 pm. The exact date and time of the public urination incident in Notting Hill have not been publicly confirmed.
I can only offer my profuse apologies. I was stood up by two Uber drivers and kept waiting in the street for half an hour and was bursting. There is no disguising my embarrassment.
Councillor Johnny Thalassites confirmed the council is investigating the incident, though whether the fixed-penalty notice has been officially issued to Lord Mandelson yet remains unclear. According to major media reports, a fixed-penalty notice is not a criminal conviction but can show up on the police national computer, while research indicates such notices do not require a court appearance and do not constitute a criminal conviction. This incident occurs against the backdrop of Lord Mandelson's dismissal as the UK’s ambassador to the US last September over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Separately, Scotland Yard has launched a criminal investigation into allegations of misconduct in a public office after Lord Mandelson was accused of sharing sensitive information with Epstein in 2009, according to major media reports. Research indicates the former ambassador has since been arrested by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Scotland Yard said it is probing an email he sent to Jeffrey Epstein regarding a €500 billion eurozone bailout while serving as UK business secretary, according to research.
The act of sharing such information as a 'potential criminal offence', though Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley described the act of sharing such information as a 'potential criminal offence', though Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing. Earlier that day, around 20,000 additional documents related to Epstein’s estate were released, including messages indicating Mandelson remained in contact with Epstein until at least 2016, according to research. The government has begun releasing documents related to Mandelson’s tenure as ambassador, including vetting records, WhatsApp messages and emails, following a parliamentary push for transparency.
' Whether the fixed-penalty notice has been officially issued to Lord Mandelson yet is unknown, as the council continues its investigation into the urination incident. Similarly, the current status of the criminal investigation into misconduct in public office remains unclear. The specific content of the email Lord Mandelson sent to Jeffrey Epstein regarding the €500 billion eurozone bailout has not been revealed.
None of us knew the depths and the darkness of that relationship.
Additionally, the full extent of Lord Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein beyond the released documents is not fully known.