Lord Mandelson has come under criticism from the Conservatives after it emerged that he joined Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's son at a country house shooting party.
The Business Secretary and Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi were guests at Lord Rothschild's Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, the Spectator revealed.
Last night the Tories attacked Mandelson for socialising with a man who publicly celebrated the controversial release of the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.
The government faced claims that it tacitly supported the Scottish administration's decision to release Megrahi on compassionate grounds because the UK stood to benefit from trade deals with Libya.
The shadow Treasury minister, Greg Hands, said: "This extraordinary revelation, if true, raises serious questions for Peter Mandelson. Once again, he is mixing up his private associations and his public duties."
A spokesman for Mandelson said: "We do not offer a running commentary on Peter Mandelson's social engagements, but we can confirm that he has never taken part in a pheasant shoot and never will. He has always said he is happy to see Saif Gaddafi again if the occasion arose."
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