A man, aged 28, has been apprehended for allegedly selling a stolen phone belonging to Morgan McSweeney, former chief of staff at Downing Street. Scotland Yard detained the man last Wednesday, and he was subsequently released on bail. Notably, he is not believed to have been involved in the initial theft that occurred on October 20 last year.
The incident raised concerns about the potential loss of crucial messages regarding Lord Peter Mandelson’s contentious appointment as the US ambassador. In February, Members of Parliament pushed for the Government to disclose numerous files amid uncertainties surrounding the extent of the peer’s connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before assuming the diplomatic role in Washington.
Subsequent revelations from the initial batch of files indicated that the Prime Minister had been cautioned about the risks associated with appointing Lord Mandelson, with the process being criticized as hastily executed by national security adviser Jonathan Powell.
In a noteworthy development, a transcript from a 999 call revealed that Mr. McSweeney did not initially disclose his position as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff when reporting the theft of his phone. The call was made on October 20 last year, where he reported the theft of a “government device” and his unsuccessful attempt to apprehend the thief, who escaped on a bicycle. However, police mistakenly recorded the incident at an incorrect address, assuming it occurred on a similarly named street five miles away.
The Metropolitan Police took an uncommon step in releasing the call log in March in response to criticism suggesting they were neglecting the investigation due to being too occupied. The log indicated that Mr. McSweeney mentioned it was a government phone but did not specify his role at Downing Street or the sensitivity of the data on the device.
A spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police stated, “A 28-year-old man was arrested on April 29 in Peckham on suspicion of handling stolen goods related to the theft of a mobile phone on October 20, 2025, in Belgrave Road, Pimlico. The individual was placed in police custody following the arrest and was later released on bail. He is believed to have received and then sold the stolen phone, but no connection to the original theft is suspected, and the phone remains unrecovered.”
