THE former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Williams has called for questions to be asked about “how we snap out of the hypnotic trance that allows billionaires to buy people and communities”.
Lord Williams made the comments on Monday evening, after the Prime Minister came under renewed pressure for appointing Lord Mandelson as US Ambassador, despite his links to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Lord Williams told the Church Times: “What is most profoundly disturbing about the whole Epstein saga is the moral hypnosis created by extreme wealth. The fascination of power — not full-blooded coercive violence but a kind of lazy emancipation from all routine constraints — draws the eyes away from the dehumanising processes that sustain it and the ease with which persons as much as things come to look like just another luxury accessory to be bought (or simply grabbed) and handed around.
“When we have stopped weaponising the Epstein files to use for this or that political agenda, I hope to God we start asking about how we snap out of the hypnotic trance that allows billionaires to buy people and communities — ‘beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men’ (Revelation18.13).”
It was reported on Monday that emails from the Epstein files, released by the US Department of Justice, appeared to show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor informing Epstein of reports of official visits and details of investment opportunities.
The anti-monarchy group Republic reported Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to the police for suspected misconduct in public office and breach of the Official Secrets Act. Thames Valley Police said that it was investigating whether there were grounds to investigate the complaint, the BBC reported.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said on Monday evening: “While the specific claims in question are for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames Valley Police we stand ready to support them as you would expect.”
A spokesperson for Kensington Palace said on Monday that the Prince and Princess of Wales had been “deeply concerned” about the “the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”