Met Police release 999 call transcript of Morgan McSweeney reporting phone theft

The Metropolitan Police have taken the unusual step of releasing the transcript of a 999 call reporting the theft of a mobile phone belonging to Sir Keir Starmer’s former private secretary Morgan McSweeney.

The incident raised concerns that important exchanges over the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the US could be lost.

Police admitted they first recorded the burglary, which took place on October 20 last year, as taking place in east London rather than Westminster.

Police emphasized that at the time of the report, officers and staff were unaware of the caller’s profession or the sensitive nature of the material likely to be stored on the device.

During the interview, Mr McSweeney gave his name, personal email address and home address outside London. He also informed the operator that the device was a “Government phone” and that he had contacted his office to initiate tracking. However, it mistakenly gave the location as Belgrave Street in Tower Hamlets rather than Belgrave Road in Westminster.

This error, revealed during the media investigation into the incident, led officers to review incorrect CCTV footage and conclude that there was no realistic line of inquiry to pursue. The handling of the case is currently under review.

The transcript contains the following exchange:

“Call handler: Do you have any trackers on your phone?

“Caller: I called. This is a Government phone.”

The document then says:

“Call handler: So when did he actually grab the phone?

“Caller: About two minutes before I called you and I ran after you, then I called my office to have the phone tracked, and then I called you.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting insisted the disappearance of messages after Mr McSweeney’s phone was stolen was “a ruse rather than a conspiracy”.

Downing Street has been forced by MPs to release tens of thousands of documents over questions about what was known about Lord Mandelson’s links to pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein before he was given his job in Washington.

Mr McSweeney left Downing Street last month and many accused him of delaying Lord Mandelson’s appointment.

The prime minister’s top aide reported having her phone stolen in central London in October, meaning her messages with Lord Mandelson could not be examined.

On Wednesday, Mr Streeting said Mr McSweeney “could not have known” that these changes would later be required for review.

The senior minister told Times Radio: “I can completely understand the skepticism in these types of cases, but remember that when his phone is stolen it is reported to the police.

“He could not have known at that stage that Parliament would want the unprecedented publication of all messages.

“Yes, in politics, sometimes some things can be explained as a result of a conspiracy. Sometimes, they are revealed as a result of a conspiracy rather than a conspiracy.”

Concerns were also raised about Mr McSweeney’s phone not being backed up, despite guidance from the Government that senior officials should forward or screenshot messages to an official system and that they were responsible for protecting personal data from “accidental loss”.

Mr Streeting said: “I think after this there will be a reiteration of expectations for ministers, special advisers and officials so that people are clear about the rules and expectations.

“People will inevitably want to tighten those fronts.”

The senior minister also emphasized that WhatsApp uses the disappearing message function and when it receives a message, it forwards the information to the Department of Health and Social Care.

He added: “We also publish transparency reports of our meetings, including meetings with journalists. There are standards of transparency and accountability. These are important.”

It appears that the Cabinet Office has some messages between Mr McSweeney and Lord Mandelson.

Lord Mandelson, a political appointee rather than a career diplomat, was fired from his post in Washington in September last year over his links to Epstein, who died in 2019.

The first tranche of documents related to peer appointment were released earlier this month, with more to come.

Some material is expected to be withheld either because it is relevant to a police investigation into allegations of misconduct in public office or because Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee believes it could endanger national security or diplomatic relations.