Police investigating the theft of a phone belonging to Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, have arrested a man on suspicion of handling stolen goods. The Metropolitan police said the 28-year-old was detained on Wednesday at an address in Peckham, south London, and has since been bailed.
The man is not suspected of involvement in the original theft, which took place shortly before 22:30 on 20 October last year in Belgrave Road, Pimlico. The government-issued iPhone has not been recovered, the force confirmed on Thursday.
The theft prompted concern that sensitive messages relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US could be lost. McSweeney’s correspondence with Mandelson has been under scrutiny since it emerged that the device was stolen shortly after Mandelson’s appointment was announced.
In March, it was revealed that McSweeney did not tell police he was Starmer’s chief of staff when reporting the theft. The Met released a transcript of his emergency call, an unusual step, saying it wanted to correct misreporting. The transcript showed he described the phone as a government device and mentioned it had a tracker, but did not explain the sensitivity of its contents.
A Met spokesperson said: “Officers investigating the theft of a mobile phone in Belgrave Road, Pimlico, on 20 October 2025 have arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of handling stolen goods. The arrest took place on Wednesday 29 April at an address in Peckham. The man was taken into police custody and later bailed. He is suspected of receiving the phone after it was stolen and then selling it on. He is not suspected of any involvement in the original theft. The phone has not been recovered.”
The Guardian understands that not all of McSweeney’s correspondence has been lost, with the Cabinet Office holding a number of text and email exchanges between him and Mandelson. McSweeney left his No 10 role in February.
