The Metropolitan Police is in ongoing discussions with Cabinet Office officials as the force continues its investigation into the disappearance of Morgan McSweeney's mobile phone, sources have confirmed. Scotland Yard officers are understood to have reached out to civil servants to verify details regarding the stolen work device belonging to the Prime Minister's former chief of staff.
Phone Wiped After Mugging
The development follows reports that the phone's tracking data was lost when Downing Street remotely erased the device after Mr McSweeney was mugged in October last year. According to The Telegraph, Mr McSweeney initially contacted his office at No 10 before calling the police when his phone was snatched from his hand by a man on an e-bike. He requested tracking information from Downing Street officials to attempt to recover the device himself, but the security team instead remotely shut it down, wiping all data to prevent access by the thief.
Political Controversy
Mr McSweeney resigned from his role in February this year, taking responsibility for advising Sir Keir Starmer to appoint Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to the US. His resignation came days after MPs demanded the publication of all files related to the disgraced peer's appointment. The scope of the 'humble address' motion could have included messages between Mr McSweeney and his long-time friend Lord Mandelson. However, it has since emerged that Mr McSweeney's phone was stolen on 20 October 2025 and was not backed up, raising concerns about the loss of correspondence.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has suggested that 'something fishy' is going on, but Sir Keir has dismissed the idea, calling it 'far-fetched' to link the theft to the release of files about Lord Mandelson. The Metropolitan Police is speaking to Cabinet Office officials as the force continues its investigation.
Tracking Data Lost
The phone's tracking data was lost when No 10 wiped the device, according to The Telegraph. Scotland Yard initially recorded the theft incorrectly as occurring in east London rather than Westminster, after Mr McSweeney mistakenly gave his location as Belgrave Street instead of Belgrave Road during the emergency call. This led officers to review the wrong CCTV footage, concluding there were no realistic lines of inquiry—a decision that has since been revisited. Scotland Yard announced last month that it was taking a fresh look at its assessment of available evidence.
Upcoming Parliamentary Evidence
MPs on the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee are scheduled to hear evidence from Mr McSweeney tomorrow regarding Lord Mandelson's appointment. Mr McSweeney has denied allegations that he bullied civil servants into appointing Lord Mandelson as the UK's top diplomat in Washington DC. This follows claims by former Foreign Office chief Sir Olly Robbins of an 'atmosphere of pressure' and 'constant chasing' from No 10 concerning Lord Mandelson's vetting. Downing Street has also denied that civil servants were bullied or cajoled by Mr McSweeney.
