Starmer Denies Link Between Aide Phone Theft and Mandelson Files

Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday dismissed suggestions that the theft of his former chief of staff's government-issued phone was connected to the recent release of documents about Lord Peter Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to the United States. The incident, which occurred in central London in October 2024, has raised concerns that key messages related to the controversial posting may have been lost.

The phone belonged to Morgan McSweeney, who served as Starmer's top aide until resigning last month amid criticism for advocating Mandelson's nomination. On October 20, 2024, just before 10:30 p.m., McSweeney was using the device on a street in Pimlico when a young man on a bicycle snatched it and fled, according to a transcript of his emergency call to the Metropolitan Police. McSweeney, who also had his personal phone with him, immediately contacted his office to track and wipe the government device before dialing 999. In the call, he provided his name, date of birth, phone details, a personal email, and a home address outside London, noting it was a government phone but not specifying his role or its sensitivity.

The police have released the transcript in an...