By Adam Irwin

For years, the Mandelson-Epstein affair has been discussed as if it were a problem of judgment, optics or personal association.

That framing is profoundly mistaken. What this case exposes is not a lapse in propriety, but a failure of national security. And one that goes to the heart of how Britain manages power, access and risk.

At Heligan Group, our analysis of recently unsealed US court documents led us to a clear conclusion: the real danger here was never Jeffrey Epstein as an individual, but the system that allowed sensitive information, policy discussions and access to senior decision-makers to circulate beyond formal state controls.

While serving in senior government roles during the global financial crisis, Peter Mandelson appears to have shared material relating to UK economic policy, internal deliberations and international coordination with Epstein. In some cases, documents were forwarded rapidly after receipt, occasionally accompanied by commentary referencing senior figures within government. Whether this crossed legal thresholds is a question for investigators. From a national security perspective, however, the concern is already........

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