Starmer Confirms Disappearing Messages Function Used on Official Phone
Downing Street has confirmed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer utilises an auto-delete function on his mobile phone, a feature that may have erased WhatsApp messages exchanged with and about Lord Mandelson. This disclosure follows a parliamentary vote compelling the government to release all relevant documents, including communications, pertaining to Lord Mandelson's appointment as the UK's ambassador to the United States.
A substantial release of messages on Monday, including those from senior ministers and civil servants, contained only a limited number of texts from the Prime Minister. Sir Keir stated he had provided all "messages I hold" and had "complied" with the process, noting that "many people, not just in politics, use disappearing messages." WhatsApp's disappearing message tool allows users to set messages to delete after 24 hours, seven days, or 90 days.
Government guidance permits the use of disappearing messages, provided they do not hinder record-keeping or transparency. However, a review of WhatsApp use in government is underway, with an official Downing Street spokesperson admitting there are "lessons to be learnt." The spokesperson highlighted that the released documents included "multiple" items from the Prime Minister's private office, described as the "standard and established route for communicating prime ministerial decisions and handling communications."
Conservative shadow minister Alex Burghart criticised the practice, stating, "Government guidance is clear: significant information and decisions must be properly recorded and preserved. But Keir Starmer's messages to Peter Mandelson have been disappeared or destroyed." Lord Beamish, Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee, urged senior officials and ministers to cease using WhatsApp for government business, citing security concerns and a lack of audit trails for decision-making. Other cabinet members, including Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and Chancellor Rachel Reeves, also reportedly use disappearing messages.
The Mandelson files contained six non-WhatsApp texts between Lord Mandelson and Sir Keir. One exchange from July 2024 shows Lord Mandelson suggesting a meeting with former Prime Minister Sir John Major, to which Sir Keir replied he would "reach out to John M." The documents also included messages between Lord Mandelson and Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, where McFadden expressed frustration over policy discussions focusing solely on "who can we tax in order to pay benefits." Lord Mandelson, in another message, described No 10 as "beleaguered and bereft."
