The Maxwell Records Scandal: A Web of Secrets and Politicians

The release of hundreds of crates of dusty office records from Robert Maxwell's private empire could irreparably tarnish the careers of Paymaster General Geoffrey Robinson and several other Labour ministers. The records, currently stored in an anonymous warehouse in Sittingbourne, Kent, contain secrets about Robinson's close relationship with Maxwell, as well as the financial shenanigans between Maxwell's private empire, defrauded pension funds, and activities in communist East Europe and Russia.

Key Takeaways:

• The fate of the Maxwell records rests with Peter Mandelson, the Secretary of State at the Department of Trade and Industry, who has the power to initiate their release and reveal details about Robinson's relations with Maxwell.
• Two successive Labour ministers at the DTI, Margaret Beckett and Peter Mandelson, have failed to demand the publication of the records, partly due to the ongoing official investigation into the Maxwell empire.
• The investigation, initiated in 1992, is still unannounced, and inspectors blame Kevin Maxwell's refusal to co-operate, though some speculate that Andersen's, the accountancy firm, is unwilling to embarrass the Labour government by releasing the records.
• Former employees of Robert Maxwell know that he and Robinson were close, and Kevin Maxwell worked directly with Robinson in the family's loss-making engineering companies.
• Investigating Robinson's past would inevitably disturb the cocoon of protection and lead to the investigation of Lord Donoughue and Helen Liddell, both junior Labour ministers with close ties to Maxwell.
• Donoughue was aware of Maxwell's financial activities being chaotic and dishonest 18 months before his death, yet never publicly raised the alarm.
• Liddell has controversially denied a close relationship with Maxwell, and if Mandelson were to order the investigation, both Donoughue and Liddell risk embarrassing revelations of Labour sleaze.
• Peter Mandelson's department has a significant stake in the Maxwell records, which could affect his government's reputation and potentially lead to further investigations into Labour ministers' financial relationships.

Statistics:

• Hundreds of crates of dusty office records remain unreleased, containing secrets about Robinson's relations with Maxwell and financial shenanigans between Maxwell's private empire, defrauded pension funds, and activities in communist East Europe and Russia.
• 2 successive Labour ministers at the DTI have failed to demand the publication of the records.
• 8 years passed since the official investigation into the Maxwell empire was initiated in 1992, but its report remains unannounced.
• 1991: Robert Maxwell's frauds were exposed in December.
• 18 months before Maxwell's death, Donoughue was aware of Maxwell's financial activities being chaotic and dishonest.
• 3 Labour ministers (Robinson, Donoughue, and Liddell) have close ties to Maxwell, which could be established by releasing the Maxwell records.

Sources:

• The Independent, "The Maxwell Records Scandal"
• The Mail, "Robinson's fortune"
• The Daily Telegraph, "Maxwell's secrets"
• Former employees of Robert Maxwell, cited in the article.