SCOTTISH Labour must launch an immediate probe into whether they have “been compromised by Russian intelligence services”, the SNP have said.
It comes after a report compiled by former MI6 officer Christopher Steele alleged that Labour grandee Peter Mandelson was treated as a “privileged contact” by Russian spies and regarded in Moscow as “one of the most significant RIS [Russian intelligence services] achievements in manipulating UK politics” over the past three decades.
Mandelson, a close friend of the paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein even after his first conviction, was made the UK’s US ambassador despite officials raising concerns that he had served on the board of Russian defence firm Sistema.
His links to the sanctions-hit Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska were also flagged by officials but brushed aside before he was given to top diplomatic posting, reports said.
UK Government files released after the Labour peer was sacked as US ambassador showed that Mandelson had played a role in helping now-Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander get re-elected to parliament, which the SNP said raises concerns about Scottish Labour.
"Anas Sarwar must launch an immediate investigation into whether the Labour Party in Scotland has been compromised by Russian intelligence services,” SNP MSP George Adam said.
"We know that Anas Sarwar and his Scottish Labour Party cronies maintained a close friendship with Mandelson despite his relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein being a matter of public record for many years.
“Now it has been claimed that Russian intelligence services considered Mandelson as a key contact in manipulating UK politics – that news will be deeply concerning to the Scottish public.
“Mandelson was crucial in the selection of Scottish Labour candidates and following the release of appalling messages between Mandelson and Douglas Alexander, the public need to know just how far Mandelson reached into the inner workings of Scottish Labour.
"We need answers. Anas Sarwar showed appalling judgement in cosying up to Mandelson, it is now vital that in the public interest the Labour Party deeply examines how compromised they may be."
A Scottish Labour spokesperson dismissed the call as “deranged nonsense”.
“It is telling of the depths they have sunk to that the SNP has resorted to promoting crank conspiracy theories with no basis in reality,” they said.
“It might be a warm summer, but a cold shower is definitely needed for the tinfoil hat brigade at SNP HQ.”
There is no suggestion in Steele's report that Mandelson passed information to the Kremlin or committed any wrongdoing.
Sources close to Mandelson have dismissed the allegations as baseless, insisting he “did not pass any information to Russia or do anything wrong” and highlighting occasions when he publicly opposed Russian state interests.
The report itself is reported not to present direct evidence that Mandelson was a Russian asset, relying instead on sourced assertions about how he was perceived by Russian operatives.
