Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor latest: Minister slams ‘arrogant and entitled’ ex-duke as government to publish trade envoy files

Lord Peter Mandelson’s lawyers Mishcon de Reya have released a statement on the ex-Labour peer’s arrest on Monday, saying it followed “baseless” claims he was about to flee the country.

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

“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.

“We have asked the MPS for the evidence relied upon to justify the arrest. Peter Mandelson’s overriding priority is to cooperate with the police investigation, as he has done throughout this process, and to clear his name.”

Officials worried “arrogant” Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor “would do damage” to Britain’s reputation while working as a trade envoy, a Liberal Democrat MP has claimed.

Monica Harding, told the Commons the former prince stayed in his post for 10 years despite having a “reputation that preceded him” while concerns were “met with a shrug”.

Her comments came as ministers agreed to release files related to the appointment of the royal to the envoy role after he was released under investigation on suspicion of misconduct in public office last week.

Prior to entering politics, Ms Harding worked as the director of communications at the British Council, with Andrew having visited as a trade envoy.

“Before his arrival, senior staff in both the embassy and the British Council were rolling their eyes – his reputation preceded him,” the MP for Esher and Walton said.

“I was told it was a containment exercise, that overseas missions feared putting him out there in case he said something inappropriate, that he was arrogant and that he wasn’t on top of the detail of his brief.

“Rather than looking forward to his visit as an opportunity to play up Britain, instead, it was thought that he would do damage.”

She also said the former prince “smeared” the work of British scientists on Dolly the sheep, the first cloned mammal, as being “rubbish”, at an exhibition she had organised.

One member of staff was left “deflated and didn’t understand why this representative of the British state diminished what she was rightly proud of”, Ms Harding said.

Questions about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as a special envoy have sparked calls to apply freedom of information laws to the royal family.

Members of the public have a general right to access information which public authorities hold, but communications related to the royal family or royal household are exempt.

Speaking in the Commons, Green Party MP Sian Berry suggested the carve-out could be abused to evade legitimate scrutiny, if ministers were to appoint members of the royal family to government-linked roles.

“Transparency about workings of an organisation is a key way to prevent corruption,” Ms Berry said.

“Sunlight really is the best disinfectant.”

Turning to the exemption, the MP for Brighton Pavilion said: “Now, that really is one rule for the rich and powerful and one rule for the rest of us.”

She later told MPs: “I believe this is a serious transparency loophole for royals that must be closed.

“For example, it could mean that if positions such as trade envoy are filled by members of the royal family, it would be predictably significantly harder for the press, public and MPs to make sure things are above board, and much harder to get details when things go very, very badly wrong.”

Ms Berry said the exemption had allowed the royals’ “power to act in the shadows, concealing important truths from MPs and the public”.

The MP later told the Press Association she is considering a bid to remove the exemption, either by tabling her own Bill or trying to amend a future piece of legislation.

In an interview with The Independent, the Tory leader, who described herself as a monarchist, also said the King had led on the issue “in an exemplary fashion”.

You can read The Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin’s exclusive interview below:

Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday afternoon, Sir Chris Bryant said he wants to “manage people’s expectations” about how quickly the papers on Andrew can be released, due to the age and quantity of the material, and the live police investigation.

He said: “It’s worth bearing in mind that the documents that might be envisaged in this are mostly 25-years-old. Some of them are a bit earlier. They may be substantial in number and many of them will be in hard copy.”

The minister later added: “I am slightly trying to manage people’s expectations about timeliness, partly because of the quantity of material, and because there is a live police investigation, and I just don’t want to jeopardise that.”

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was appointed as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment in 2001 after retiring from the Royal Navy.

He was handed the role by Sir Tony Blair’s New Labour government and received the backing of Conservatives and Labour figures, despite controversy around the appointment and his suitability for the job.

The then-prince stepped down from the role in 2011.

Reports from the time said that Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s time as trade envoy was plagued with controversy, with calls for his resignations in March 2011 over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, who had been jailed for sex offences.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor did not receive a salary, but did have expenses paid for.

It was alleged this week that he used taxpayers’ money for massages and excessive travel costs during his time as the UK’s trade envoy, according to claims made by retired civil servants.

His expenses-paid delegations also earned him the nickname ‘Air miles Andy’.

When asked in 2011 what Mr Mountbatten-Windsor contributed to the role, former prime minister David Cameron’s spokesman said that many UK businesses supported the work he had done over recent years.

“We saw trade as an important part of our Growth Strategy and the Prime Minister had been clear that the whole of Government needed to support British business in promoting exports to other countries. We thought that Prince Andrew had made a valuable contribution in this area.”

Trade minister Sir Chris Bryant said the Government is “working at pace” to bring forward legislation on succession, amid calls for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to lose his right to the throne.

Despite being stripped of his title last year, the former duke of York is still eighth in line to the throne, and an Act of Parliament would be required to prevent him from ever becoming king.

Sir Chris told the Commons: “We are working at pace on this, and we intend to be able to bring forward legislation where we can.”I can’t commit to a particular date on that.

“But I note that Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music sang ‘I have confidence that spring will come again’, and so I have confidence that the act of succession will come round at pace.”

At the conclusion of the debate, MPs approved a Liberal Democrat motion which called for the release of documents relating to the former prince’s appointment as a trade envoy.

All papers relating to Andrew’s appointment as the UK’s trade envoy in 2001 will be released “as soon as is practicable and possible within the law”, Sir Chris Bryant has said.

Earlier the trade minister said he wants to “manage people’s expectations” about how quickly material about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor can be released.

“I want to make sure that we move as fast as we possibly can, but I also want to make sure that justice does happen, and I don’t want to do anything that would undermine the police investigations. I hope that they will be able to move as swiftly as possible and we will certainly co-operate with them as swiftly as possible.

“It’s worth bearing in mind that the documents that might be envisaged in this are mostly 25-years-old. Some of them are a bit earlier. They may be substantial in number and many of them will be in hard copy.”

The Lib Dems motion calling for all papers relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as UK trade envoy has passed without a vote.

MPs unanimously backed the move tabled in the Commons on Tuesday, which means the government is obliged to comply with it.

Sir Chris Bryant said the government would release the files “as soon as is practicable and possible within the law”.