Gordon Brown Demands Historic Political Reform After Mandelson-Epstein Revelations
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has issued a powerful call for historic change in British politics, expressing profound regret over his appointment of Peter Mandelson to government and demanding urgent anti-corruption measures following revelations linking political figures to Jeffrey Epstein's criminal network.
A Betrayal of Public Trust
In a searing assessment of the current political crisis, Brown states that the abuse of women by figures like Epstein and the abuse of political power by individuals such as Mandelson must be confronted directly. "We owe it to Epstein's victims and to British democracy to demand historic change," Brown declares, emphasizing that nothing less than a century-defining rebalancing of power and accountability is adequate for this moment.
The former Labour leader reveals his personal revulsion at discovering that during the 2008 financial crisis, when he was focused on saving homes, savings, pensions and jobs, a cabinet member was allegedly prioritizing wealthy friends and leaking sensitive information to someone now known as "the ringmaster of a cabal of abusers and enablers."
Personal Responsibility and Regret
Brown takes direct responsibility for appointing Mandelson to his ministerial role in October 2008, stating he "greatly regrets" this decision. He explains that he made the appointment despite Mandelson not being a personal friend, believing his knowledge of Europe could help during the global financial crisis. Brown now acknowledges he was wrong, stating that Mandelson appears to have used market-sensitive inside information to betray both his principles and the people who believed in him.
"His activities, which his own emails have brought into the public arena, do not only show his duplicity," Brown writes. "They force us to examine how easy it is in our country to trade secrets – for wealth to gain access to power, how backdoor routes to decision-makers can be covered up, how lobbying for financial gain can circumvent well-meaning but insipid rules."
Systemic Failures and Historical Patterns
The former prime minister places the current scandal within a troubling historical pattern, noting that Britain suffers major political scandals every few years without fully learning lessons – from the Profumo affair of the 1960s to the "brown envelopes" sleaze of the 1980s, MPs' expenses in the 2000s, Boris Johnson's Partygate, and now the Mandelson revelations.
Brown warns that unless fundamental changes occur, these latest revelations will act as "acid in our democracy, corroding trust still further." He cites polling showing two-thirds of Britons already believe politicians act primarily for themselves rather than the public interest.
Comprehensive Reform Agenda
Brown proposes a sweeping reform agenda, beginning with the creation of an independent anti-corruption commission appointed by Parliament with statutory powers of search, seizure, and access to bank records. He calls for corruption to be made a specific statutory offense, as proposed by the Law Commission and Transparency International.
The former prime minister also demands that the new Ethics and Integrity Commission – which replaced the Committee on Standards in Public Life in October 2025 – be placed on a statutory basis with powers to investigate alleged breaches, impose penalties, and enforce conclusions. He advocates for an updated MPs' code of conduct with a general prohibition on second jobs, with only limited exceptions for maintaining professional memberships.
Urgent House of Lords Reform
Brown identifies the House of Lords as requiring immediate attention, noting that while it contains many exemplary public servants, its current structure enables problems. He points to 50 known lobbyists and 91 members paid for political advice within the Lords, describing this section of lawmakers as reminiscent of "old rotten boroughs."
While supporting eventual replacement with an elected second chamber, Brown calls for immediate action to exclude lobbyists and mandate rigorous disclosure standards. He proposes extending the cooling-off period for former ministers from two to five years before they can lobby or conduct private business in areas where they possess inside knowledge.
Transparency and Accountability Measures
The former prime minister advocates for parliamentary hearings similar to US Senate confirmation processes for newly appointed ministers, senior ambassadors, and other major appointments. He notes that such hearings already exist for Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee members and could have prevented problematic appointments if implemented earlier.
Brown also addresses lobbying transparency, citing a Transparency International report that less than 4% of lobbyists are covered by the 2014 Lobbying Act. He references an April 2025 report titled "No Rules Britannia" that identified Britain as the Western world's least transparent country.
A Call to Action
"None of these changes can be guaranteed to prevent a determined individual from betraying our country," Brown acknowledges. "But we owe it to the victims of abuse, whose moving accounts have triggered current investigations, that our every action is now determined by the effort to prevent the powerful acting with impunity against the powerless."
He concludes with an urgent appeal to the current prime minister to "legislate for a new era of transparency, putting in place the strongest possible safeguards to prevent misbehaviour and to ensure proper accountability if misconduct happens. The time is overdue to let in the light – and send the princes of darkness on their way."
Gordon Brown served as UK Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010 and currently serves as the UN's Special Envoy for Global Education.
