Lib Dems in bid to release files on Andrew trade role

The Liberal Democrats will push for documents on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's appointment as a UK trade envoy to be released, following his arrest last week.

On Tuesday, the party will table a motion to force the government to release files on his appointment to the role in 2001, including those relating to vetting.

Meanwhile, party leader Sir Ed Davey has apologised for his historic support for Andrew as trade envoy, saying he did not know what he does now.

It comes after the former prince was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Police had previously said they were considering investigating him over allegations relating to his association with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and were reviewing allegations he shared confidential material.

Andrew held the role of "special representative for international trade and investment" between 2001 and 2011, giving him privileged access to senior government and business contacts around the world.

Emails released in the US from the latest tranche of files related to Epstein include claims that he forwarded government reports from visits to Vietnam, Singapore and China to Epstein in 2010.

Elsewhere in the documents, Andrew is also alleged to have forwarded information on investment opportunities in gold and uranium in Afghanistan to Epstein.

Andrew has not responded to the BBC's requests for comment on specific allegations that have emerged after the US release of files in January related to the late financier. He has previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

The Lib Dems plan to use scheduled debating time allocated to the party on Tuesday to force a Commons vote on a so-called humble address that would compel ministers to release information on Andrew's appointment.

This type of motion is generally seen as binding and was successfully used by the Conservatives earlier this month to force the government into releasing material related to Lord Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador in late 2024.

Criticism of members of the Royal Family is only allowed in Parliament in specific circumstances - but because Andrew is no longer an active member of the family, comments on his actions are likely to be allowed.

MPs are likely to be reminded not to say anything which could prejudice the ongoing police case.

The text of the Lib Dem motion, which is expected to be debated on Tuesday afternoon, requests "all papers relating to the creation of the role of Special Representative for Trade and Investment and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's appointment to that role".

The motion also requests "minutes of meetings and electronic communications regarding the due diligence and vetting".

The party also wants to see any correspondence from Lord Mandelson relating to the appointment, following reports that the former minister pushed for him to be appointed when concerns were raised over his suitability at the time.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said "the public is rightly demanding to know" how Andrew was appointed to the role.

"There's also a much broader principle at stake here. No one, regardless of their title or their friends, should be beyond the scrutiny of Parliament," he added.

Sir Ed told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The rules of the House of Commons have prevented... MPs from criticising members of the Royal Family and sometimes even mentioning them and that really seems old-fashioned."

In 2011, when he was a business minister, Sir Ed said Andrew was doing an "excellent job" as trade envoy and dismissed concerns around him at the time as "innuendo".

Asked about his defence of Andrew during the parliamentary debate, he said: "First of all can I apologise to all those victims of Epstein who may have read those words and been upset by them. I really regret them."

Sir Ed said he "wasn't really over the brief" and added "no MP mentioned Epstein in that debate and I think that tells a tale about how Parliament and MPs don't hold the Royal Family, didn't hold [the former] Prince Andrew in that really privileged position, properly to account".

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government was "not against" publishing material that is of interest to the public.

"The balance that we have to strike however is, given that there is an ongoing police investigation, we wouldn't want to jeopardise their work and we do have to tread with care here," she told the Today programme.

Tuesday's debate comes as MPs on the business and trade committee are expected to meet this week to decide whether to launch a parliamentary investigation into the appointment of UK trade envoys.

It is understood that any inquiry would start with a focus on possible governance issues within the wider system.

Meanwhile on Monday, ministers said a first batch of documents related to Lord Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador would be released in "early March".

The government will not have to publish material that it considers could damage the UK's national security or diplomatic relations with other countries, which it will instead pass to a committee of MPs and peers to review.

Lord Mandelson was arrested on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, over allegations he passed sensitive government information to Epstein when he was a minister in the New Labour government.

He has since been released on bail pending further investigation.

Lord Mandelson has not publicly commented in recent weeks on the Epstein files, but the BBC understands his position is he has not acted in any way criminally and that he was not motivated by financial gain.