Stolen phone of Starmer aide linked to Mandelson scandal
Reliability
Based on 40 sources
Publications (13)
Sources (40)Fact-Checking
19 claimsMorgan McSweeney's government phone was stolen on October 20, 2024.
The Metropolitan Police recorded the wrong address for the theft, initially placing it in Tower Hamlets instead of Westminster.
The police are now revisiting the investigation and reviewing CCTV from the correct location.
Open Questions
5 questionsThe theft was reported months before the whole Mandelson situation even began.
According to inews.co.uk (Steve Reed quote)The theft occurred in October 2024, around a month after Mandelson was sacked in September 2024, implying the theft happened after the sacking.
According to inews.co.uk (article text), Daily Mail - Home, Daily Mirror - Main, The Guardian - Main UK, BBC News - PoliticsContext: This contradiction affects the credibility of the government's narrative that the theft is unrelated to the Mandelson controversy. If the theft occurred after the sacking, it could be seen as more suspicious.
The phone was not backed up, leading to potential loss of correspondence.
According to Daily Express - Politics, Daily Mail - News, HuffPost UKThe Cabinet Office holds some messages between McSweeney and Mandelson, implying partial backup or retrieval.
According to BBC News - Politics, Daily Mail - News, Daily Express - PoliticsContext: This contradiction determines whether the stolen phone actually resulted in loss of sensitive communications. If messages are held elsewhere, the impact of the theft is reduced.