Government denies actively considering Epstein and Al-Fayed inquiry

The government has denied that it is actively considering a public inquiry into the UK activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Mohamed Al-Fayed, contradicting earlier statements by ministers suggesting the Prime Minister was looking into the possibility.

The confusion began when Alex Davies-Jones, the victims minister, said in a television interview that Prime Minister Andy Burnham was "looking into the possibility" of holding a public inquiry into the UK activities of the convicted sex offender and the former Harrods boss. She said the Prime Minister was taking the matter "very seriously" and would meet with victims.

"I have been assured that the Prime Minister is taking this very seriously. He will meet with those victims and he is looking at what is possible," she said.

Her comments were echoed by Justice Minister Jake Richards, who said in a separate interview that the government would "look into" the scandal, adding that "no stone should be left unturned."

However, this morning, the Ministry of Justice, with the full authority of Downing Street, issued a statement saying a public inquiry is "not being actively considered."

The contradiction has raised questions about the new government's position. Political commentators have suggested the mixed messages may reflect teething problems within the new administration, or a gap between the Prime Minister's empathetic approach to victims and the practical realities of launching a costly and lengthy inquiry.

Alex Davies-Jones, who resigned as victims minister under Keir Starmer's government in May and was reappointed by Andy Burnham, is now seeking an urgent meeting with Louise Haigh, the First Secretary of State, to discuss the possibility of a joint inquiry into the activities of Epstein and Al-Fayed.

The victims minister had previously called for a public inquiry into Epstein's UK activities in early July, and had delivered a letter to Keir Starmer demanding he meet with survivors. She has said the Prime Minister has agreed to meet Epstein survivors.

Campaigners from the Labour Party have reportedly asked for the investigation to focus on how Epstein was able to fly in and out of UK military bases in his private jet, often with allegedly trafficked women.

The Prime Minister has committed to meeting victims and survivors of Epstein's abuse. The convicted paedophile died in a New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.

In a separate development, the Metropolitan Police has apologised after accidentally revealing the email addresses of women who say they were sexually abused by Al-Fayed. The force says it mistakenly copied the names of the alleged victims into an update about its ongoing investigation instead of using blind copy.