BREAKING: Sir Lindsay Hoyle Alerted Police That Mandelson Could Flee Before Arrest

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has confirmed he passed information about Lord Mandelson to the Metropolitan Police ahead of the peer’s arrest on Monday, telling MPs he acted in “good faith” and described it as “regrettable” that the matter had become public.
The BBC understands Sir Lindsay received information during a visit to the British Virgin Islands last week suggesting Lord Mandelson was planning to travel there, and passed that on to police. This is believed to have contributed to the decision to take the peer into custody rather than wait for a previously arranged voluntary interview.
Mandelson’s legal team have pushed back strongly, describing the flight risk suggestion as “baseless” and confirming their client had already agreed to attend a police interview next month. Lawyers say the arrest was prompted entirely by the unsubstantiated claim he intended to move abroad.
Sir Lindsay did not disclose in his Commons statement where the information had originated, saying only that it was “relevant” and that he had shared it in good faith.
Lord Mandelson was arrested on Monday at his Camden home on suspicion of misconduct in public office as part of a Metropolitan Police investigation into allegations he passed sensitive government information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He was later released on bail.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​