Armed Forces Minister Vows to Personally Pursue Phone Thieves Amid Labour Security Controversy
Armed Forces Minister Al Carns has declared he would "chase down" anyone who stole his mobile phone and personally retrieve the device, making the bold statement during an escalating political row over the theft of a government phone belonging to Keir Starmer's former chief of staff. The ex-Royal Marine turned minister suggested he would not find himself in the same predicament as Morgan McSweeney, whose official device was stolen in October 2025 and not properly backed up.
"I'm Going to Chase Them Down the Street"
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Mr Carns outlined his uncompromising approach to phone security: "Well, first of all, I'd like to see the person who's going to steal it, because I'm going to chase them down the street and get it back." He emphasized that his immediate response would involve securing sensitive information: "If I have lost my phone, the first thing I'm going to do is make sure that I get rid of all the systems and make sure no one can steal bank account details and everything else off it. And I'd recommend anyone should follow that process."
The minister's comments come amid growing concerns about the potential loss of sensitive correspondence related to the controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to the United States. Mr McSweeney, who resigned as the Prime Minister's top aide last month, had his government phone stolen last year, with the device containing unbacked communications that critics fear could reveal details about the Mandelson selection process.
Dismissing the Controversy as "Worst of Politics"
Mr Carns, who left military service to become an MP in the 2024 general election, dismissed the entire controversy surrounding the lost phone as representative of "the worst of politics." He contrasted the political squabbling with global security priorities: "We've got two wars on, one in the Middle East, one in Ukraine, and we're talking about someone's phone. I'm not interested in talking about someone's phones, I'm interested in dealing with defence matters and making sure our British interests are secure."
The minister elaborated on his perspective: "I'm interested in dealing with a crisis in the Middle East that involves hundreds of thousands of either British citizens or expats, and a war in Ukraine that's caused a million casualties, more casualties than America took in the entire Second World War. Am I interested in one person's phone? I haven't even paid attention to it." He characterized the focus on the phone theft as "gutter politics" unworthy of serious attention.
Investigation Complications and Disclosure Demands
The Metropolitan Police investigation into the phone theft has encountered significant complications. During his 999 call reporting the theft on 20 October, Mr McSweeney provided his name, a personal email address, and a home address outside London, while identifying the device as a government phone. However, police incorrectly recorded the location as Belgrave Street in east London rather than Belgrave Road in Westminster, leading officers to review the wrong CCTV footage and concluding there were no viable investigative leads. This error is now under review.
Meanwhile, MPs have moved to compel the publication of tens of thousands of documents related to Lord Mandelson's appointment, with particular focus on what was known about his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before he was selected for the Washington diplomatic role. The Cabinet Office is developing an information-gathering plan that will reportedly request data from Lord Mandelson's personal phone as part of the disclosure process.
Whitehall sources indicate this approach was always part of the plan, despite reports suggesting the Cabinet Office had not initially requested messages from the peer's personal device. Lord Mandelson, a political appointee rather than career diplomat, was dismissed from his ambassadorial position in September last year following revelations about his Epstein associations.
Downing Street Response and Ongoing Fallout
Downing Street has attempted to downplay connections between the phone theft and parliamentary demands for transparency, describing as "far-fetched" any suggestion that the device's loss was linked to MPs calling for the release of files concerning Lord Mandelson. Government officials have emphasized that the theft occurred "months before" the House of Commons passed a motion compelling document disclosure.
The controversy continues to unfold as the first batch of related documents was published earlier this month following parliamentary pressure, with additional disclosures expected. The unusual police release of Mr McSweeney's 999 call transcript has further fueled debate about security protocols and transparency within government communications, even as ministers like Mr Carns argue that such matters distract from more pressing national security concerns.
