London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 13, 2026

Dominic Raab’s mobile number freely available online for last decade

Dominic Raab’s mobile number freely available online for last decade

Exclusive: Finding raises questions for security services weeks after similar revelations about PM’s number
The private mobile number of Dominic Raab, the UK foreign secretary, has been online for at least 11 years, raising questions for the security services weeks after the prime minister’s number was also revealed to be accessible to anyone.

Raab’s number was discovered by a Guardian reader using a Google search. It appears to have been online since before he became an MP in 2010, and remained after he became foreign secretary and first secretary of state – de facto deputy prime minister – in 2019.

The web page showing the number also contained other personal details for Raab. It has since been removed following extensive correspondence with the website by the Guardian, and the number no longer appears online or via Google.

The foreign secretary has previously warned of the cybersecurity threat posed by rogue states.

In April, it emerged that Boris Johnson’s personal mobile could be found at the bottom of a press release and had been online for 15 years, raising questions over why the confidentiality of senior politicians’ contact details was not thoroughly investigated.

The former UK national security adviser Peter Ricketts said the breach regarding Raab’s number showed more attention must be paid to online security.

“The wide availability of Mr Raab’s personal phone number must increase the risk that other states, or even criminal gangs, have been able to eavesdrop on his calls,” he said. “It also means that anyone who happens to have had his phone number … is able to lobby the foreign secretary, bypassing the official channels which everyone else has to use. Anyone taking on a role as sensitive as this should in their own interests pay as much attention to online as to physical security.”

The shadow foreign secretary, Lisa Nandy, called for an investigation. She said: “This is a staggering lapse in security from a foreign secretary who, only last month, was lecturing Nato allies about the cybersecurity threat posed by authoritarian regimes.

“It is typical of the government’s approach that when it comes to national security and defending democracy they say one thing but do another. This should be the subject of an investigation. Both the prime minister and foreign secretary have failed to protect their own phones. How can we be assured they aren’t as careless with sensitive intelligence and diplomatic cables too?”

The government said it had requested the removal of the web page containing Raab’s details after being alerted by the Guardian.

Johnson’s number was found on a thinktank press release, unearthed by the newsletter Popbitch, related to his work as a shadow higher education minister when he was also MP for Henley, inviting journalists to contact him for comment. The number has since been disconnected.

Last week, the Mail on Sunday reported that MI5 had been given the go-ahead to examine the phone for possible hacks.

Concerns are also said to have been raised over the amount of government business conducted on WhatsApp amid fears over the risk that significant private information could be read if a phone were stolen or hacked.

Senior officials had reportedly advised Johnson to change his phone number due to concerns about how many people had access to it from his time as a journalist, MP and mayor of London, but he is said to have refused.

Johnson was criticised for text message exchanges with the entrepreneur Sir James Dyson and with the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

Dominic Cummings, formerly the prime minister’s most senior aide, recently revealed details of government WhatsApp groups that coordinated the coronavirus pandemic response, involving the prime minister, health secretary and the country’s most senior medical and scientific advisers.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “Private information was wrongly retained online, before the foreign secretary’s appointment. Once we were made aware, we had it removed immediately. Most of it was out of date, and no security was compromised.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
United Kingdom Financial Markets Monitor Business Response to Economic Policy Changes
Scottish Renewable Energy Expansion Highlights Need for Faster Grid Development
Wales and Regions Strengthen Focus on Economic Development Through Tourism and Investment
Retail Industry Warns High Street Businesses Remain Under Pressure
Police Chiefs Highlight Growing Challenges Managing Protests and Public Order
Agriculture Leaders Seek Clarity on Post-Brexit Farming Support and Environmental Rules
Transport Unions Warn of Further Industrial Action Over Pay and Working Conditions
Welsh Tourism Sector Reports Strong Growth Driven by Domestic and International Visitors
National Infrastructure Review Gains Support as Leaders Seek Faster Project Delivery
Financial Markets Assess Impact of United Kingdom Corporate Tax Policy Changes
Northern Ireland Assembly Debates Cross-Border Trade and Infrastructure Cooperation Plans
Government Opens Consultations on Housing Reform and Planning System Changes
Scottish Government Faces Pressure to Accelerate Offshore Wind and Grid Expansion
National Energy System Operator Warns Grid Investment Is Needed for Future Electricity Demand Growth
United Kingdom Research Council Invests in Artificial Intelligence and Biotechnology Innovation Hubs
United Kingdom Expands Oversight of Skilled Worker Visa Sponsors Amid Migration Debate
Cross-Party MPs Call for National Infrastructure Strategy Review to Accelerate Economic Growth
Prime Minister Announces One Billion Pound NHS Funding Package Ahead of Winter Pressures
Bank of England Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rates as Inflation Remains Above Forecasts
World Cup Visitors Turn American Big-Box Stores Into Souvenir Stops
Netflix Weighs Always-On Channels, Bundles and Short-Form Video
Passenger Is Pulled Partly Outside Ryanair Jet After Window Fails Mid-Flight
Innovation-led growth strategy
Public service reform pressure
Defence and industrial security
Labour leadership transition and economic reset
Northern England Pushes for Greater Influence in Britain’s Future Economic Model
UK Technology Strategy Focuses on Life Sciences, Digital Innovation and Research Investment
Britain and United States Maintain Focus on Pharmaceuticals Cooperation and Industrial Growth
UK Public Services Face Continued Pressure as Government Promises Visible Improvements
Regional Economic Power Becomes Key Theme in Britain’s Next Political Phase
Britain Expands Support for Small Businesses as Firms Seek Better Access to Finance
UK Economy Remains Central Political Challenge as Cost of Living and Growth Concerns Persist
National Health Service Introduces New Workplace Reviews to Improve Conditions for Healthcare Staff
UK Life Sciences Sector Secures More Than Three Billion Pounds in Investment to Support Innovation
Britain Strengthens Defence Strategy as Security Concerns Reshape Military and Industrial Policy
Andy Burnham Promises Stronger UK Defence Industry and Expanded Domestic Production
UK Government Faces Difficult Spending Choices as Labour Leadership Transition Approaches
Rachel Reeves Warns Andy Burnham of Immediate Economic Challenges After Expected Leadership Change
Andy Burnham Prepares to Lead UK Government With Plans for Regional Power Shift and Economic Reset
Government Creates Emergency Support Scheme for Financially Struggling Universities
United Kingdom Replaces Traditional Farm Subsidies With Payments Linked to Environmental Performance
National Grid Reports First Week of Electricity Generation Without Fossil Fuels
United Kingdom Financial Regulator Introduces Tougher Capital Rules for Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Belfast Harbour Expands Operations to Attract Investment Through United Kingdom and European Union Market Access
Scottish Government Threatens Legal Challenge Over Westminster Cuts to North Sea Transition Funding
United Kingdom Accelerates Trans-Pennine High-Speed Rail Project Linking Northern Cities
United Kingdom Secures Ten Billion Pound Investment for Cambridge Quantum Computing Campus
Port Talbot Steelworks Wins Support for Green Hydrogen Transition and Protection of Industrial Jobs
United Kingdom Sends Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group to Indo-Pacific as Regional Security Focus Expands
×