❓WHAT HAPPENED: A cell phone belonging to Morgan McSweeney, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s former Chief of Staff, was allegedly stolen last year, raising fears about the loss of vital communications related to Jeffrey Epstein-linked Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the U.S. However, British police failed to investigate the high-profile theft, claiming they were “too busy,” prompting accusations of a cover-up.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Morgan McSweeney, Peter Mandelson, and Keir Starmer.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The phone was stolen in 2024; the incident has impacted ongoing inquiries into Lord Mandelson’s short-lived diplomatic appointment.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The whole thing stinks of a cover-up.” – Alex Burghart
🎯IMPACT: Downing Street is now compelled to disclose all communications related to Mandelson’s appointment, despite the missing phone.
A cell phone owned by Morgan McSweeney, former Chief of Staff to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, was stolen last year. The device had reportedly been used to communicate with Jeffrey Epstein-linked Labour Party grandee Lord Peter Mandelson, prompting worries that sensitive details tied to Mandelson’s short time as Starmer’s ambassador to the U.S. may have been lost.
Mandelson, a central player in Labour from Tony Blair‘s premiership starting in the 1990s onwards, was ousted from his ambassador post in 2025 once his already public connections to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein received greater public attention. McSweeney, who stepped down on February 8, accepted full blame for the appointment and said: “The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country, and trust in politics itself.”
Parliament recently approved a humble address motion requiring Starmer’s government to hand over all records connected to Mandelson’s appointment, including emails, texts, and reports—especially any messages between McSweeney and Mandelson. However, because the phone was supposedly stolen months before that motion passed, questions have surfaced about whether the full set of communications can be released.
Shadow Cabinet minister Alex Burghart complained, “We had to drag the Mandelson files out of Keir Starmer, and now we find the phone of his former Chief of Staff and protege of Mandelson won’t be part of the disclosure. The whole thing stinks of a cover-up.”
Even without the missing phone, some exchanges between McSweeney and Mandelson have reportedly been recovered and will be part of the upcoming document release. A government spokesman said the administration remains committed to obeying the humble address motion and is cooperating with the Metropolitan Police investigation into the theft.
The next batch of files is expected after the Easter break, following the first set released on March 11 that showed officials had been warned about Mandelson’s Epstein links and raised alarms over the rushed appointment.
Mandelson was arrested on suspicion of passing confidential information to Epstein while he was a member of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government in February.
Image by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street.
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