Government Expresses Doubt Over Retrieval of Deleted Mandelson WhatsApp Messages
Cabinet Office minister Chris Ward has told MPs that he does not know whether deleted WhatsApp messages concerning Lord Peter Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the United States can be retrieved. This admission came during questioning in the House of Commons, where the use of the "disappearing messages" feature on the widely-used messaging app has raised concerns about potential loss of crucial communications.
Disappearing Messages Feature Under Scrutiny
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice pressed Mr Ward on whether messages automatically deleted by WhatsApp's disappearing messages function could be technically recovered for examination by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC). The feature, commonly used by MPs and officials to prevent leaks, allows users to set messages to vanish after 24 hours, seven days, or 90 days.
"He raises a very interesting question, I'm afraid I really don't know the answer to it," Mr Ward responded, adding that he would come back to MPs on the matter. This uncertainty follows a government vote to publish all material related to Lord Mandelson's 2024 appointment, with sensitive national security and foreign relations information to be vetted by the ISC.
Historical Context of Disappearing Messages
The issue of disappearing WhatsApp messages has precedent in recent political inquiries. During the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, a senior civil servant working with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was found to have activated the function just one month before the inquiry was announced. Similarly, the Scottish National Party government faced accusations that senior ministers had turned on the setting during the pandemic.
Mr Ward informed MPs that the government aims to publish the first batch of messages when Parliament returns from recess on February 28. However, he noted that assessing the volume of material is ongoing, stating: "There is obviously a large amount of material potentially in play here ... that's not a criticism, that's just a factual observation of how long it's going to take to get through this. So scoping has begun."
Parliamentary and Police Considerations
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle emphasized that the ISC should not be prevented from viewing material due to the Metropolitan Police's ongoing investigation into misconduct in public office by Lord Mandelson. Sir Lindsay argued that as the committee operates privately, receiving information would not interfere with police work, saying: "The intelligence committee is private and independent and therefore I wouldn't like to see that they were blocked from information because it would not affect any police investigation."
Conservative shadow cabinet office minister Alex Burghart questioned whether any replacement of Sir Chris Wormald as Cabinet Secretary might impact document disclosure. He also raised queries about the government's contract with Palantir and the publication of documents regarding the peerage of former communications head Lord Matthew Doyle, who recently had the Labour whip removed after apologizing for campaigning for a councillor charged with possessing indecent images of children.
Mr Ward committed to writing to Mr Burghart about Palantir but deemed the Lord Doyle question outside the scope of the parliamentary session. He assured that the government takes these matters seriously, promising full compliance and transparency in handling the material.
