PM’s ethics tsar rules out investigation into Starmer’s disappearing WhatsApps

The Prime Minister’s ethics tsar has rejected calls for an investigation into Sir Keir Starmer’s use of disappearing WhatsApp messages.

The Conservatives had demanded an investigation into whether Sir Keir had broken the ministerial code by not preserving his WhatsApp messages because ministers are obliged to “keep accurate public records” when they use “non-corporate communication channels” for official business.

Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s independent adviser on ministerial interests, said any investigation would need to be founded on “some element of factual evidence and not supposition alone”.

Shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Alex Burghart, had called on Sir Laurie to investigate the “Office of the Prime Minister’s adherence to record keeping guidelines” and said, “if WhatsApp is being routinely used for communications by the Prime Minister, it raises the question whether the guidance on limiting communications to lower security classifications has been followed”.

But, in his reply, Sir Laurie told Mr Burghart he would not launch an inquiry into the Prime Minister “on the supposition that he personally used non-corporate communication channels for substantive exchanges with Lord Mandelson, which were subsequently deleted and/or which should have taken place at a higher classification”.

“My terms of reference enable me to initiate inquiries on the basis of an alleged action by a minister constituting possible misconduct, but the

underlying allegation needs to be founded on some element of factual evidence and not supposition alone,” he said.