Man arrested for selling Morgan McSweeney's stolen phone

The Metropolitan Police have arrested a 28-year-old man in Peckham on suspicion of handling stolen goods linked to a mobile phone belonging to Morgan McSweeney, the former chief of staff to the UK prime minister. The phone was stolen in October 2025 in Pimlico, London, and the suspect is believed to have received and sold the device but is not suspected of involvement in the original theft. The phone itself has not yet been recovered. The arrest follows an investigation into the theft, which came to public attention amid scrutiny over the appointment of Lord Mandelson as the UK ambassador to the US. The stolen phone is significant because it may contain messages related to the controversial diplomatic appointment. McSweeney, an ally of Lord Mandelson, had advised the prime minister on the selection, a decision he later described as a mistake due to Mandelson’s connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The theft occurred shortly after Mandelson was dismissed from his role but months before Parliament demanded the government release communications about the appointment process. McSweeney reported the theft at the time, but police initially recorded the wrong location, complicating the investigation. Further controversy arose when it emerged that McSweeney had not disclosed his senior government position or the potential security risks of the stolen phone to the police. In response to criticism over the handling of the case, the police published the transcript of McSweeney’s emergency call and have since reassessed the evidence. McSweeney testified before a parliamentary committee that he informed Downing Street immediately after the theft and had shared all relevant messages and emails about Mandelson’s appointment with officials prior to the phone’s disappearance. The case highlights ongoing concerns about the security of sensitive government communications and the transparency of the appointment process for key diplomatic roles. The recovery of the phone and further investigation may shed light on the internal deliberations surrounding Lord Mandelson’s controversial posting.