Far-fetched to think McSweeney faked phone theft, says Sir Keir Starmer

Former Downing Street chief of staff Morgan McSweeney (left) and former US ambassador Lord Mandelson

The prime minister has said it is "a little bit far-fetched" to believe his former chief-of-staff Morgan McSweeney could have faked the theft of his phone.

Messages relating to Lord Mandelson's appointment as British ambassador to the US could be lost as a result of the theft in October last year.

The phone would have been included in the imminent disclosure of all messages connected to that decision, which McSweeney pushed for despite concerns about Lord Mandelson's links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told journalists "we are all raising eyebrows" at the phone being stolen and, pressed for any evidence, responded it "doesn't add up".

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The BBC has approached McSweeney for comment.

On Wednesday, the Met took the unusual step of publishing the full transcript of the call McSweeney made on 20 October last year to report his work phone had been snatched from his hand by a young man riding a bike as he walked down the street.

Speaking to journalists in Finland, where he is attending a security summit, Sir Keir Starmer dismissed speculation McSweeney's account could be untrue and the government was involved in a cover-up was wrong.

Asked if he understood why some people were suspicious about the incident, the prime minister said: "Unfortunately there are thefts like this.

"It was stolen. It was reported at the time, the police have acknowledged and confirmed that. That is what happened.

"The idea that somehow everybody could have seen that some time in the future there'd be a request for the phone is, to my mind, a little bit far-fetched."

At PMQs on Wednesday, Badenoch said: "I wonder what a director of public prosecutions would make of the defence, 'sorry, I can't produce my WhatsApps, my phone's been stolen'."

Sir Keir was the director of public prosecutions before he started his political career.

Speaking after PMQs, Badenoch's official spokesman continued to contest McSweeney's reported theft.

"From the very outset of the Mandelson affair, the prime minister's first instinct has been to obfuscate and cover up," he told reporters.

The spokesman would not go as far as to suggest McSweeney was lying about his phone being stolen, but said: "I think what Kemi would say is, it's very fortunate timing."

Badenoch has called for McSweeney to give evidence to Parliament about the theft, saying there were "too many unanswered questions".

She said: "If No 10 are incapable of recovering these messages, it is only right that Morgan McSweeney testifies in Parliament and explains exactly what happened and why Keir Starmer signed off on Peter Mandelson's appointment despite the warnings."

Later that evening, Labour backbencher Karl Turner posted on X: "I don't believe McSwindle had his iPhone stolen." He has offered no evidence for this claim.

Another Labour backbencher, Richard Burgon, has submitted a written question to the Cabinet Office on whether McSweeney reported the theft to them, what the guidance is on backing up data and what impact the theft had on national security.

Burgon said on X: "Given the serious impact this could have on getting the truth about the Mandelson scandal... we need answers."

The government has promised to comply with a demand from MPs to publish all messages relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador, who was appointed despite his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The first set of internal government documents, which reveal the PM was warned about the risk of appointing Lord Mandelson, were released earlier this month.

Messages from ministers and government aides are expected to be included in the second release, raising questions about whether information held on McSweeney's stolen phone would be accessible.

The Cabinet Office is understood to have some of the messages between Mr McSweeney and Lord Mandelson in its possession.

Former deputy cabinet secretary Helen MacNamara has criticised Downing Street for apparently not flagging McSweeney's phone theft to the police as a security risk.