• •Downing Street officials confirmed to BBC News that Prime Minister Keir Starmer utilizes auto-delete features on his mobile messaging applications.
• •The policy aligns with existing departmental security protocols, according to a government spokesperson.
• •Transparency advocates and opposition figures argue the practice potentially conflicts with government record-keeping obligations and openness pledges.
• •It remains unclear how many official discussions occur via these channels or whether the use of disappearing messages violates the spirit of the Ministerial Code.

Downing Street has confirmed that Prime Minister Keir Starmer uses auto-deleting message settings on his phone. This practice mirrors similar controversies that affected previous Conservative administrations, raising questions about data retention and government transparency. However, the move has drawn criticism from opposition members, who argue it contradicts the Labour Party’s prior commitments to open governance. Whether this usage impairs the public's ability to access official records will likely remain a point of parliamentary debate.