SIR Keir Starmer uses disappearing messages on WhatsApp, his spokesman said today amid allegations of a “cover up” in the Mandelson Files.
Only one text exchange between the PM and the disgraced Labour peer were released as part of a huge tranche of messages released yesterday.
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Only one conversation was recorded between Sir Keir Starmer and Peter Mandelson
The Labour peer had hundreds of conversations with ministers and advisers
Ministers and officials who communicated with the former US ambassador were ordered to turn over any conversations with him.
More than 1,500 pages of correspondence was published but noticeably omitted any WhatsApps between Sir Keir and Lord Mandelson.
Today the PM’s spokesman admitted: “The Prime Minister does use disappearing messages, as you’ll be aware.
“Some ministers do use that function in line with the government’s advice on non-corporate communications channels.”
No10 said that this means “some material may no longer be available, for example, where devices have changed or messages were set to disappear for legitimate reasons.
“But we also recognize there are lessons on record keeping, archiving, and the use of secure systems going forward.”
The government is now launching a review of the use of WhatsApp among ministers and officials for work purposes.
The disappearing messages function on the app means texts vanish after a certain period of time.
Other ministers who had close relationships with Lord Mandelson also failed to register many WhatsApps, such as Business Secretary Peter Kyle.
Whereas others like Pat McFadden handed over reams of messages with the ex-New Labour Cabinet Minister.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch today said she does not use disappearing messages.
Downing Street is facing “cover up” allegations over missing information in the Mandelson Files.
The 1,500 pages of messages is full of redactions made by the Cabinet Office on national security and diplomatic relations grounds.
Identities of junior civil servants and third parties have also been withheld from the documents.
The Tories accused some ministers of failing to turn over all of their messages given barely any exist despite their friendship with Lord Mandelson.
Shadow Minister Alex Burghart said: “Some ministers have duly handed over their WhatsApp messages. It is clear that some have not.
“Are we to believe that there was no WhatsApp exchange at all between the Prime Minister and Peter Mandelson? It is clear that some messages have gone missing.”
Tory MP Edward Leigh added: “When it comes to scandals, it’s any sense of cover up which makes them much worse.”
Labour’s Darren Jones said: “This tranche, plus the first tranche of documents, represent the entirety of the documents that the Government has for disclosure, except for those that have been made available to the Metropolitan Police.”
