Boris Johnson’s Allies Defy UK Government in Covid Inquiry
Allies of Boris Johnson challenged the UK government after he allegedly told the Covid-19 inquiry he could not hand over the former prime minister’s WhatsApp messages and notebooks because he did not have them. The inquiry set out that it had granted a 48-hour extension for the government to reply to its request for unredacted messages and notes from the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Baroness Heather Hallett made a statement and announced that the inquiry aims to conclude all public hearings by summer 2026, adding new details to the inquest, as the dispute between ministers and the investigation over whether requested documents should be supplied unredacted continues.
Government Objects to WhatsApp Sharing
The government raises the prospect of a legal battle if the deadline arrives on Thursday. A Johnson ally has said that Johnson’s team had cooperated fully with the Cabinet Office-appointed legal team who had access to this material. They were not aware of receiving any instructions or requests from the Cabinet Office regarding this material. The Cabinet Office refused to comment on the allegations. The WhatsApps that the government does not want to send are those of Rishi Sunak, not Boris Johnson. Downing Street confirmed that Johnson and other relevant figures had worked with legal advisers before handing over documents to the inquiry.
Labour Ministers Disapprove of the Inquiry’s Conduct
Lord Bob Kerslake highlighted that a “cover-up appears to be happening here to avoid embarrassment for ministers,” while Number 10 announced that the rules for ministers’ WhatsApp messages were clear, declaring that substantive decisions should be systematic, while messages could be deleted. Separately, Hallett revealed that three new surveys on vaccines and treatments, public procurement, and the healthcare sector would be included in the inquiry’s current topics of discussion. The first hearings on pandemic preparedness will last six weeks from June 13.
Summary:
Boris Johnson’s allies challenge the UK government after alleged unavailability of Johnson’s WhatsApp messages and notebooks for the Covid-19 inquiry. Baroness Hallett sets an additional deadline for the government to respond to the request of the unredacted documents. A statement is issued that the inquiry aims to end all public hearings by summer 2026, including new details for the inquest. The dispute over whether to share documents unredacted continues, while the Cabinet Office opposes sharing government employees’ WhatsApp messages that do not relate to work.
More Insights:
The controversy around why the government objects to WhatsApp sharing is gaining momentum, leading to a legal battle if the deadline arrives on Thursday. The Labour opposition thinks the inquiry should conduct themselves in a particular manner, accusing them of disappearing evidence about former PM Boris Johnson. Downing Street confirms that Johnson and other key figures had worked with legal advisors before handing over the documents to the inquiry.
The controversy around why the government objects to WhatsApp sharing is gaining momentum, leading to a legal battle if the deadline arrives on Thursday. The Labour opposition thinks the inquiry should conduct themselves in a particular manner, accusing them of disappearing evidence about former PM Boris Johnson. Downing Street confirms that Johnson and other key figures had worked with legal advisors before handing over the documents to the inquiry.
Separately, the announcement of three new surveys on vaccines, public procurement, and healthcare sector survey has been linked to the inquiry’s current discussions, including preparedness for the pandemic, political decision-making and the impact of the pandemic on healthcare. The first hearing will be on pandemic preparedness for six weeks from June 13.
In summary, it is unclear whether the unredacted Johnson WhatsApp messages will be handed over to the Covid-19 inquiry. What is evident is that the government is facing opposition from Labour about the delay in providing these records and other documents that the inquiry requested. The inquiry committee has set a deadline for this week, which could lead to a legal battle. Furthermore, there is a broader concern that the inquiry may not be working as it should be, showing favoritism to parties involved and not presenting information with transparency and clarity, as noted by the Labour opposition. The inquiry will proceed, with more research included, moving forward to address more issues related to the pandemic preparedness, political decision-making, and the impact of the pandemic on healthcare.
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Boris Johnson’s allies have defied the UK government after he allegedly told the Covid-19 inquiry he could not hand over the former prime minister’s WhatsApp messages and notebooks because he did not have them.
The public inquiry said on Tuesday it had granted a 48-hour extension from 4 p.m. Tuesday until the deadline for the government to respond to its request for JohnsonUnredacted messages and notes from the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
The inquiry, chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, said it had dismissed the Cabinet Offices asks to have until June 5, adding that the department told him the government does not have Johnson’s WhatsApp messages or notebooks.
In a separate statement, Hallett provided new details on the timeline for the inquest, saying it aims to conclude all public hearings by summer 2026.
The announcements followed a standoff between ministers and the inquiry over whether requested documents should be provided unredacted, amid concerns in Whitehall about the precedent such a move could set.
Downing Street on Tuesday reiterated its assertion that material “unambiguously irrelevant” to the investigation should not be handed over.
Later on Tuesday, the Cabinet Office said it was ‘fully committed’ to its obligations to the investigation, but confirmed its objection to the sharing of government employees’ WhatsApp messages ‘which do not relate to work but rather are entirely personal and tied to their privacy”. .
The government statement raises the prospect of a legal battle when Thursday’s deadline arrives.
A spokesperson for Johnson said he had “no objection to disclosing material to the inquest”, adding: “He has done so and will continue to do so. The decision to challenge the position of the investigation of the redactions belongs to the Cabinet Office.
A Johnson ally disputed the Cabinet Office’s claim that he did not have his messages and notebooks, saying Johnson’s team had at all times “co-operated fully with the Cabinet Office-appointed legal team who had access to all this material”.
The person said that to date Johnson’s office “was not aware of having received any instructions or requests from the Cabinet Office in relation to this material”.
The Cabinet Office declined to comment on the allegations.
Johnson’s ally also accused the government of insisting on deleting his documents to protect Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. “The WhatsApps that the government really does not want to disclose are those of Sunak. Boris is just a distraction in all of this. The government takes this position because it does not want current ministers included.
Downing Street confirmed on Tuesday that as part of the inquiry process, relevant figures including Johnson worked with legal advisers – including senior lawyers hired by the Cabinet Office – before handing over documents to the inquiry.
Labor asked how evidence of the former PM had apparently ‘disappeared’ and warned of a ‘smell of cover-up’, a suggestion rejected by Number 10.
Lord Bob Kerslake, former head of the civil service, told the BBC there appeared to be a ‘cover-up going on here to avoid embarrassment for ministers’, but added that the Cabinet Office was also ‘fighting for principle of confidentiality”.
In its opinion on Tuesday, the inquiry told the government it must provide a record of any “action taken by the Cabinet Office to obtain potentially relevant material”.
Downing Street suggested the way was open for Johnson to hand over his own unredacted documents to the inquiry if he so wished.
Number 10 said the rules for ministers’ WhatsApp messages were clear and that “substantive decisions” should be recorded systematically, while other messages could be deleted.
Separately, Hallett announced three new surveys – on vaccines and treatments, public procurement and the healthcare sector – to be added to the three already confirmed, which cover pandemic preparedness, political decision-making and impact. of the pandemic on health care.
The first hearings, on pandemic preparedness, will last six weeks from June 13.
https://www.ft.com/content/f58c654b-73b0-4305-b6b7-9a7a6ac87d54
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