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WATCH: Labour MP dismisses claims of Morgan McSweeney 'cover up' as a 'conspiracy theory'
Mar 29, 2026
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said the government needs to crack down on phone theft following the loss of a Number 10 phone by Morgan McSweeney.Asked about the incident, Phillipson told the Camilla Tominey Show on GB News: “Morgan McSweeney was mugged, had his phone stolen from him, did what was necessary. Reported it. Reported it to the authorities in Downing Street, as well as to the police, which is what you'd expect.“Now, sadly, this is something that affects lots of people. It's not an unusual occurrence we see, isn't it?”She added: “Sadly, people's phones are stolen every day. I mean, we need to do more to tackle that. Absolutely.“We are, all of us, being asked to provide any material that is relevant through the humble address. So we're committed to doing that.“Everyone has a responsibility to provide whatever material is within the scope of the humble address. I've been asked to do that.“All ministers will be complying with that, and my expectation is that Morgan McSweeney will do the same. But I think there's a risk here that we drift into conspiracy theory territory.”WATCH ABOVE.
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0:00
I just mentioned the teaching unions there
0:02
You're doing some great work trying to investigate anti-Semitism in schools. And you've got Sir David Bell looking into that
0:08
Does it help to have Daniel Kabidi, who is the head of the NEU, the National Education Union
0:14
going to rallies and suggesting that we should globalise the Intifada? At the rally that he attended, there was a call for Israel to be labelled an apartheid and genocide state
0:28
It's people like the head of teaching unions that are sowing the seeds for anti-Semitism in schools and universities, aren't they
0:35
So you're absolutely right that anti-Semitism is an evil that we must challenge
0:40
It's why I've asked Sir David Bell to look at all this around schools and colleges
0:44
Can we just address Khabib's language and figures like him in the education system? It's unacceptable. And my understanding is this was some years ago and he stepped back from that
0:52
But I'm not here to justify other words. I think it's unacceptable
0:56
They're calling for an investigation into reform and there have been reports of teachers likening reform MPs to Nazis
1:04
Why is Daniel Kabidi bothering launching a campaign against reform? He should be concentrating on educational standards in schools, shouldn't he
1:12
Look, I think the beauty of our country is that we enjoy one of the key kind of principles in terms of British values is people have the right to express their views
1:21
I'm all for freedom of speech. Should attacking reform be a priority for Daniel Kabidi
1:26
who's leading one of the UK's biggest teaching unions. It's a free country, and he is free to say what he wants
1:32
within the realms of what is legitimate speech and not drifting into hate speech
1:36
But, you know, my focus has been on making sure that schools and colleges are tackling anti-Semitism
1:42
and that's why I've asked Sir David Bell to investigate this through his independent review
1:46
And I will do whatever is necessary to make sure that Jewish young people can go to school safely
1:51
that we have an environment and a culture in which anti is absolutely rooted out We investing more in that but there is clearly more that we need to do And that why I committed to doing it Can I ask you about Morgan McSweeney mobile phones plural We now find out he got two more
2:07
One goes missing. It's stolen within days of it emerging that the government's going to be
2:13
at the receiving end of a humble address, which means that McSweeney's messages to Peter Mandelson
2:18
are going to be critical. There are two other phones in existence. It's starting to smell
2:23
decidedly fishy this. Where are these phones? Where are the messages? And is the government
2:29
conspiring in some kind of cover up? No. And Morgan McSweeney was mugged, had his phone stolen
2:36
from him, did what was necessary, reported it, reported it to the authorities in Downing Street
2:41
as well as to the police, which is what you'd expect. Now, sadly, this is something that
2:45
affects lots of people. It's not an unusual occurrence. You know, we see gangs operating
2:49
Isn't it? The timing a week, a week after it's decided, I think the quote was somebody said, if there is a humble address, then Morgan McSweeney is quotes effed because he's got the receipts, hasn't he
3:00
I mean, sadly, people's phones are stolen every day. I mean, we need to do more to tackle that. Absolutely. There are two more phones in existence
3:06
So we are all of us being asked to provide any material that is relevant through the humble address
3:11
And we're committed to doing that. He must be compelled, mustn't he? He must be compelled
3:15
Everyone has a responsibility to provide whatever material is within the scope of the humble address
3:19
I've been asked to do that. All ministers will be complying with that. And my expectation is that Morgan McSweeney will do the same
3:25
But I think we are drifting into I think there's a risk here that we drift into conspiracy theory territory
3:30
Well, I think it's just because of the lack of transparency over the timing of the phone
3:34
Steve Reid last week was suggesting that Morgan McSweeney had lost this phone over a year ago
3:40
He got that wrong, didn't he? He lost the phone or had the phone stolen
3:44
within days of the Humble Address becoming an idea. My understanding is that what Steve Reid was talking about
3:50
was that the phone was stolen ahead of there being a requirement. I think it the understanding He said that the phone had been stolen over a year ago In fact it was stolen last October which is certainly nowhere near a year That why the audience looks at this and says hmm not quite sure if everything stacking up
4:05
You can understand their suspicion now. We also learn that there are two other phones in existence
4:09
that for some reason haven't been seized yet. Look, we of all of us have been asked to provide
4:15
whatever information is within the scope of that humble address. You know, I've been asked to do that
4:20
Cabinet ministers, ministers have been asked to do that. And I'm sure that Morgan McSweeney will be complying with that too
4:24
All right. The other thing that people are looking for is your guidance on transgenderism
4:28
So it's now 205 days since the EHRC sent you the draft
4:33
It's 347 days since the Supreme Court ruling on trans. Where's this guidance
4:39
So we had the Supreme Court ruling last April, and I'm clear that we respect the Supreme Court ruling
4:44
We welcome the clarity it brings in terms of single sex provision. I used to run a women's refuge that was for survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence
4:52
And I know how important it is that women have access to single sex spaces
4:56
The EHRC had to revise their initial view, the code of practice that they need to give to ministers once the Supreme Court ruled
5:05
because they had not anticipated that the Supreme Court would rule in the way that they did
5:09
So they went away and did that work. They then presented that code of practice to ministers in September
5:14
I've then gone through the usual process that I'm required to do by law
5:19
It's taking a long time. It's a complex area. It is taking time
5:22
But I want to make sure that when that code of practice comes forward, it is legally robust, is not open to challenge
5:30
And we make sure we have something that is sound and workable and gives people the certainty and the clarity that they deserve
5:36
Final quick question. Sunday Mirror is suggesting that the Prime Minister is about to U-turn on the Home Secretary's immigration crackdown
5:42
Would you support him if he waters down these plans? So we do need to get our immigration system under control and demonstrate to the public that we are maintaining law and order at the border
5:52
That is absolutely essential and necessary precondition for being an open and outward society We have to demonstrate in order to maintain support for immigration that we got control
6:03
One of the areas that is under consideration is how long people have to be in this country
6:08
before they are given a need to remain. But why not just trust Shabana Mahmood? She's the Home Secretary
6:13
We were always clear that some of these areas, well, some of these areas are all out for consultation
6:17
and that is one of the areas I've referred to was one of those areas. She stated that she wants to do it as Home Secretary
6:21
who now got the Prime Minister trying to upend that. This is yet more flip-floppery from Keir Starmer, isn't it
6:26
The Home Secretary... Just can't keep a position. Can't keep a position. This will be the 15th U-turn
6:31
The Home Secretary has the full support of the government. But not the Prime Minister
6:35
And the Prime Minister. Well, clearly not according to the Sunday Mirror. In bringing a degree of order and control to our immigration system
6:43
that has been undermined for many, many years. There are some areas, like the one I just referred to
6:48
that has been out to consultation, where we were seeking views on the right way to address this
6:53
But there are other areas like, you know, making sure that we're tackling illegal migration
6:58
that we're clamping down on criminal smuggling downs. But you're not denying that there might be a watering down of this plan
7:02
So there could be another U-turn. No, we are clear that maintaining our immigration system
7:08
and having a fair, balanced and rules-based approach, that is an absolute precondition
7:13
But you're not denying reports that the Prime Minister might water down the indefinite leave to remain stuff
7:17
No, what I'm saying is that was always out of consultation. That's not, there's been no change there
7:22
That was a measure that we were consulting on. The Home Secretary stated it as fact and launched it as a policy
7:28
Now it's being consulted over. The time, the length of time under consideration was out for consultation
7:35
But the wider point, which is we saw a big increase in the number, in a short period of time under Boris Johnson
7:41
we saw a big increase in the number of people coming into our country, bigger than you would normally expect
7:45
And therefore, it was right that we consider whether that number is really sustainable and whether we can maintain public confidence in the system with those levels of net migration
7:54
Bridget Philipson, thank you very much indeed for joining me this morning
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