Wes Streeting is now diligently regurgitating the ridiculous government spin that Morgan McSweeney “couldn’t have known” his WhatsApp messages would be need to be preserved when his phone was stolen last October. Speaking on Times Radio this morning:
“I suspect that off the back of this there will be a reiteration of the expectations on ministers, special advisers and officials… people will want to tighten up on those fronts inevitably… I would just say, and I can totally understand the cynicism in these cases, do bear in mind that when his phone was stolen, it was reported to the police at the time. And he couldn’t have known at the time that Parliament would ask for the publication of all messages in the way that they have in quite an unprecedented way.”
Which is obviously total rubbish. Even in September, weeks before McSweeney’s phone vanished into the night, there was an expectation the Tories would use a humble address motion to disclose all material on Mandelson’s appointment. Labour fully anticipated it…
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”