Keir Starmer has increased the pressure on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to cooperate with a congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, saying those who are caught up in child sexual offence cases should disclose any information they have.
Asked whether Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal titles last month, should respond to the US House oversight committee, the prime minister said those with “relevant information” should share it. The former prince had a long friendship with Epstein and is alleged to have sexually assaulted one of his victims, Virginia Giuffre – allegations he denies.
Starmer’s comments came after Mountbatten-Windsor failed to respond to an interview request from the committee, prompting an angry response from two of its members.
Starmer said: “I won’t comment on his particular case. But as a general principle I’ve held for a very long time is that anybody who has got relevant information in relation to these kind of cases should give that evidence to those that need it.”
He added that Mountbatten-Windsor’s response would be a “decision for him” but added: “My general position is if you have relevant information you should be prepared to share it.”
The committee is conducting an inquiry into Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. As part of that investigation, members of the committee wrote to Mountbatten-Windsor asking for an interview and giving him a deadline of 20 November to respond.
Two Democrats on the committee said this week the former prince had not responded by the deadline. Robert Garcia, the most senior Democrat on the committee, and his colleague Suhas Subramanyam said in a statement Andrew’s silence “speaks volumes”.
“The documents we’ve reviewed, along with public records and Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s testimony, raise serious questions he must answer, yet he continues to hide,” the pair said.
“Our work will move forward with or without him, and we will hold anyone who was involved in these crimes accountable, no matter their wealth, status, or political party. We will get justice for the survivors.”
Despite their comments, the Democrats are unlikely to be able to compel Mountbatten-Windsor to speak to them without the backing of the Republicans, who chair the committee and are in the majority.
James Comer, the Republican who chairs the committee, has not said whether he would seek to force the former prince to testify, though the subject of Epstein remains highly sensitive for his party, given President Donald Trump’s involvement in it.
Earlier this week Trump signed into law the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which will compel the attorney general, Pam Bondi, to release documents related to the government’s handling of his case within 30 days.
If Congress did decide to issue a subpoena, Mountbatten-Windsor – who has denied wrongdoing – could avoid the legal penalties for non-compliance by not coming to the US.
