Global Counsel has admitted that a "significant" number of his business emails are missing following an internal audit. This has strengthened calls for an overhaul of Britain's lobbying register and raising fresh questions about accountability in public life. Global Counsel, which Mandelson set up in 2010 and left when he was appointed US ambassador last year, entered liquidation last week. Before doing so, the company conducted an internal review of his email account amid mounting scrutiny over his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. That audit uncovered a substantial gap in the records. "The company does not know how the emails came to be missing," The Times reported. The disclosure comes days after Mandelson was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and released on bail until May. Police are investigating allegations that Mandelson passed market-sensitive information to Epstein during the 2008 financial crisis, which included an internal report on how the UK might raise funds in the aftermath of the crash, and advance warning of a €500 billion EU bailout to stem the Greek debt crisis. He is also alleged to have told Epstein he would lobby colleagues in government to water down a tax on bankers' bonuses. The emails that do remain in Global Counsel's systems are said to be extensive and include correspondence with senior government figures. Among them are messages to David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, and Morgan McSweeney, who was then Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff. McSweeney has since resigned from his Downing Street role amid the wider fallout. The revelation that records are missing has intensified demands for reform of lobbying transparency. Global Counsel was one of the most significant PA firms in Westminster. "Without the US Justice Department releasing thousands of emails, would we have ever known that a UK government minister tried to 'amend' government policy after discussions with a foreign businessman and convicted sex offender?" the anti-corruption organisation said. "This activity would almost certainly have remained hidden without a US federal investigation into Epstein's crimes." The scandal is now extending beyond Westminster. The European Commission has asked the EU's anti-fraud agency, OLAF, to examine Mandelson's conduct during his time as the bloc's Trade Commissioner between 2004 and 2008. The request was made on 18 February "given the circumstances, and the significant amount of documents made available publicly," a Commission spokesperson confirmed. The political pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer continues to build. The Prime Minister appointed Mandelson as Washington ambassador in February 2025 despite warnings from the security services about his connections to Epstein, and after reportedly asking him three specific questions about their relationship before proceeding. Starmer has since dismissed him from his position, but has resisted calls to resign himself, though he has acknowledged making a mistake and apologised to Epstein's victims. A first tranche of documents relating to the appointment is expected to be released as early as March, following an opposition day motion that forced the government's hand. Campaigners are now urging ministers to use the moment to close the loopholes that allowed Global Counsel to operate outside the register for fifteen years. Labour, they argue, has both the mandate and the political incentive to act. Without reform, critics warn, the public will remain dependent on foreign governments to expose what Westminster's own transparency regime was designed to reveal. Lord Mandelson has not been charged with any offence. He denies wrongdoing and has questioned the authenticity of some documents....