The Metropolitan Police have taken the unusual step of publicly releasing a full transcript of a 999 call made to report the theft of a mobile phone belonging to Morgan McSweeney, a former chief of staff to Sir Keir Starmer. This move comes amid growing concerns that critical exchanges related to Lord Peter Mandelson's appointment as British ambassador to the US may have been lost due to the incident.
Transcript Reveals Key Details and Errors
In the call, which occurred on October 20 last year, McSweeney identified himself, provided a personal email address, and gave a home address outside London. He explicitly stated that the device was a Government phone and mentioned he had contacted his office to initiate tracking. However, a significant error emerged when he incorrectly cited the location as Belgrave Street in Tower Hamlets, east London, rather than Belgrave Road in Westminster.
This mistake led the Metropolitan Police to check the wrong CCTV footage, ultimately concluding there were no viable lines of inquiry. The error was only uncovered when the Met responded to a media query about the case, and it is now under review. The police have emphasized that officers and staff were unaware of the caller's job or the sensitivity of the material on the phone at the time of the report.
Concerns Over Lost Communications
The theft has sparked fears that key messages between McSweeney and Lord Mandelson could be permanently lost, hindering scrutiny of Mandelson's controversial appointment. Mandelson, a political appointee rather than a career diplomat, was dismissed from his Washington role in September last year due to his connections with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has addressed the situation, describing it as a "cock-up rather than conspiracy." He noted that McSweeney could not have anticipated that Parliament would later demand the publication of all messages in such an unprecedented manner. Streeting also highlighted that the Cabinet Office retains some of the messages between McSweeney and Mandelson, though the full extent remains unclear.
Government Protocols and Accountability
Questions have been raised about why McSweeney's phone was not backed up, despite Government guidelines requiring senior officials to forward or screenshot messages to an official system to prevent accidental loss. Streeting suggested that this incident would likely lead to a reiteration of expectations for ministers, special advisers, and officials to ensure compliance with data protection rules.
He further disclosed his own use of WhatsApp's disappearing messages function, stressing that he relays information to the Department of Health and Social Care to maintain transparency. The Government has been compelled by MPs to release tens of thousands of documents related to Mandelson's appointment, with some material potentially withheld due to ongoing police investigations or national security concerns.
As the investigation continues, the release of the 999 transcript underscores the complexities of handling sensitive government communications and the need for robust protocols to safeguard against such losses in the future.
