Police need to interview Andrew, says Gordon Brown

Key Points

Gordon Brown has urged the Met and Essex Police to interview Andrew over his links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
Brown said released files reveal Britain’s “unacknowledged role” in the scandal, including emails showing UK flights transporting girls with some journeys approved after Epstein’s 2008 conviction
Previous Met reviews concluded allegations of human trafficking largely fell outside UK jurisdiction
Andrew has never been questioned by police regarding allegations made by Virginia Giuffre, which he has always vehemently denied
Buckingham Palace says it will support any police inquiries, while the former duke — stripped of his royal titles last year — remains eighth in the line of succession

Gordon Brown has said police must interview Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor about his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The former prime minister has written to London’s Metropolitan Police and Essex Police to request an investigation.

It comes after Brown said he was “shocked” by the scale of the abuse and Britain’s “unacknowledged role” revealed in the Epstein files.

“It demands an in-depth police investigation, and is by far the biggest scandal of all,” the former Labour leader wrote in the New Statesman.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for police to interview former prince Andrew. Getty Images

Brown said that emails in the files recording visas, payments and transport for girls and women trafficked across the world, suggest a number of British girls were on 90 Epstein flights organised from UK airports on what was called his “Lolita Express”.

“Among the many aspects that should sicken anyone looking at the emails is that 15 of these flights were given the go-ahead after his 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from a minor,” Brown said.

“How the flights were allowed to continue should have been fully investigated.”

The Metropolitan Police previously said it was “clear that any investigation into human trafficking would be largely focused on activities and relationships outside the UK”.

Andrew has never been questioned by police over claims by Virginia Giuffre.

Ms Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, alleged that she was forced to have sex three times with Andrew, including when she was 17, and also in London after she was trafficked by Epstein, and at an orgy on Epstein’s private Caribbean island.

The former duke vehemently denied the claims.

The Met previously said it was made aware in 2015 of allegations around non-recent trafficking for sexual exploitation including to central London in 2001.

But it concluded in 2016 that because the investigation would be largely focused on activities and relationships outside the UK, the Met was not the appropriate authority to conduct the inquiries so the matter would not proceed to a full criminal investigation.

The decision was reviewed in August 2019, but in November that year the Met confirmed it would remain unchanged.

It comes after revelations that former prince Andrew may have shared confidential reports from his role as the UK’s trade envoy with Epstein.

Thames Valley Police have held discussions with specialists from the Crown Prosecution Service about the allegations.

The force said: “While we cannot provide timescales over when a decision as to whether a criminal investigation will be opened, we can assure you that Thames Valley Police is making progress as quickly as possible.”

Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said they were leading the assessment of allegations relating to misconduct in public office, which specifically related to documents within the United States Department of Justice’s Epstein files.

Earlier on Wednesday, Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson told journalists they were “in close contact” with both the Metropolitan and Thames Valley police, but have not been asked for formal advice yet.

Emails released by the US department of justice earlier this month appear to show the former duke sharing reports of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapore.

Files released by US authorities also include claims a woman was sent to the UK by Epstein for a sexual encounter with Andrew in 2010.

Separately, the Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation into Lord Peter Mandelson over alleged misconduct in public office.

The inquiry is linked to allegations that Lord Mandelson sent market-sensitive information to the paedophile financier Epstein while he was business secretary during the financial crisis.

The development is the latest bombshell in the relentless scandal surrounding the former duke and his links to paedophile Epstein.

On Monday, Buckingham Palace said it would “stand ready to support” the police if approached over the claims.

A spokesman added that the King had made clear his “profound concern” at allegations over his brother’s conduct.

Andrew is effectively no longer a royal, becoming a commoner after he was stripped by the monarch of his right to be a prince and his dukedom late last year over his association with Epstein.

He remains in the line of succession, being eighth in line to the throne, having gradually moved down after being born second in line.