Overview
- Ministers confirmed Sunday that Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney had a phone stolen last year that held messages with Peter Mandelson.
- The Cabinet Office’s top official, Cat Little, asked staff to hand over group‑chat exchanges from private devices after MPs forced document release using a Humble Address, a rare order that compels disclosure.
- Officials said the department retains records of the relevant McSweeney–Mandelson messages despite the theft, though some data on the device cannot be accessed.
- The next release of the Mandelson files is due after Easter under the Commons order, and police and Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee will screen sensitive material.
- Opposition figures accused No 10 of a cover‑up over gaps from auto‑deleting chats and delays, while Downing Street rejected the claim and noted the ongoing Met inquiry into Mandelson, who denies wrongdoing after his February 23 arrest.