A Labour minister has said he would 'chase down' anyone who stole his phone and retrieve it, as controversy grows over the theft of a government device belonging to the Prime Minister's former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney. The device, which was not backed up, was stolen in October 2025, raising concerns that correspondence linked to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States could be lost.

Al Carns, a former Royal Marine who became Armed Forces minister after entering Parliament in 2024, dismissed the row as 'the worst of politics'. He said his priority was national security, pointing to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and argued that proper procedures should be followed to secure data if a phone is lost.

Downing Street has rejected claims that the theft was linked to parliamentary efforts to force the release of files related to Lord Mandelson's appointment, describing such suggestions as far-fetched. Police released a transcript of Mr McSweeney's emergency call reporting the theft, and an error in recording the location meant officers initially reviewed the wrong closed circuit television footage.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Office is preparing to request messages from Lord Mandelson's personal phone as part of a broader disclosure of documents demanded by Members of Parliament. The publication of files follows scrutiny over what was known about his past associations before he was appointed to the Washington role, with further documents expected to be released.