Covid inquiry legal row looms over pressure to release Johnson's unredacted WhatsApp messages
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The government is withholding Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages from the official Covid inquiry to protect Rishi Sunak and other serving ministers, it is reported.
The Cabinet Office is resisting requests from inquiry chair Lady Hallett to hand over the former prime minister’s unredacted messages and diaries from the pandemic.
It fears that giving in to the former judge would mean all other evidence from ministers, including Mr Sunak himself, would have to be submitted without redactions, The Guardian reported.
Earlier, Downing Street denied the row over the disclosure of Mr Johnson’s WhatsApp messages and notebooks to the Covid inquiry was a “cover-up”.
Responding to criticism from former head of the civil service Lord Kerslake, and asked whether there was a “cover up”, Rishi Sunkak’s official spokesman said: “No. We want to learn the lessons about the actions of the state during the pandemic, we want that to be done rigorously and candidly.”
The government has also said it does not have Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages or notebooks as a legal battle hangs over the former prime minister.
Government withholding Johnson’s WhatsApp messages to protect Sunak - report
The government is withholding Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages from the official Covid inquiry to protect Rishi Sunak and other serving ministers, Archie Mitchell reports.
The Cabinet Office is resisting requests from inquiry chair Lady Hallett to hand over the former prime minister’s unredacted messages and diaries from the pandemic.
It fears that giving in to the former judge would mean all other evidence from ministers, including Mr Sunak himself, would have to be submitted without redactions, The Guardian reported.
The government argues it is opposing Lady Hallett’s request to protect the privacy of ministers and officials.
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak in 2021 (Dan Kitwood/PA)
(PA Archive)
Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp row descends into farce as senior Tories call for Sunak to end dispute
An extraordinary row over Boris Johnson’s WhatsApps risked descending into farce as the former prime minister said he was happy for his messages to be given to the Covid inquiry – only for the government to say it did not have them.
Downing Street was forced to deny allegations of a cover-up as it stuck by its stance that it should not be forced to release “irrelevant” material concerning the private lives of government staff.
The head of the inquiry has already threatened possible criminal sanctions if the Cabinet Office fails to disclose Mr Johnson’s diary entries and WhatsApp messages.
Kate Devlin and Archie Mitchell report:
No 10 forced to deny cover-up in row over demand to hand over ‘irrelevent’ material
UK and Australia/New Zealand trade deals come into force
The UK’s trade deals with Australia and New Zealand came into force at midnight, with special shipments of British goods such as signed Beano comics among the first to be sent under the new arrangements.
The agreements are the first trade deals negotiated post-Brexit to enter into force and come after the UK, Australia and New Zealand completed their domestic ratification processes.
Under the deals’ terms, from Wednesday tariffs on all UK goods exports to Australia and New Zealand will be removed, access to these markets for services unlocked and red tape slashed for digital trade and work visas.
Martina Bet reports:
Trade agreements comes to effect at midnight
Good morning and welcome to the Independent’s rolling politics coverage.
We’ll be bringing you the latest developments in the Boris Johnson Covid inquiry WhatsApp row, Prime Minister’s Questions and other stories from Westminster and elsewhere.
Government hands over 55,000 documents in Covid inquiry
The Cabinet Office has providing a trove of 55,000 documents to the Covid inquiry and insisted it is “fully committed” to its obligations.
A spokesperson for the ministerial department said: “We are fully committed to our obligations to the Covid-19 Inquiry.
“As such, the Cabinet Office alone has already provided upwards of 55,000 documents, 24 personal witness statements, eight corporate statements and extensive time and effort has gone into assisting the inquiry fulsomely over the last 11 months.”
The Cabinet Office released its statement on Tuesday
(PA)
Cabinet Office says Covid inquiry “does not have the power” to access Johnson’s WhatsApp
The Cabinet Office has weighed in on the request for Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages and notebooks to be submitted to the Covid inquiry.
A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office said: “We are firmly of the view that the inquiry does not have the power to request unambiguously irrelevant information that is beyond the scope of this investigation.
“This includes the WhatsApp messages of Government employees’ which are not about work but instead are entirely personal and relate to their private lives.”
“Do you trust Boris Johnson?” The tough questions raised by the Covid inquiry so far
Covid inquiry chair Baroness Hallett has requested Boris Johnson and other cabinet members’ WhatsApp messages be submitted to her inquiry in their entirety.
But the former prime minister is among several people who do not want to comply.
Our political sketch writer Tom Peck says the debate poses the question - do you trust Boris Johnson?
It also raises the concern of “who would ever be a politician ever again if all of your private messages are just going to be sent to a public inquiry and then published, presumably to great embarrassment?” he writes.
Read more on why the Covid inquiry has a fiendishly tough question on its hands.
Baroness Heather Hallett who will chair the public inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic
(PA)
Boris Johnson: “There’s some cover-up going on” says former Civil Service chief
Lord Kerslake, former head of the Civil Service, passed comment on the Covid-19 inquiry for the Government to hand over Boris Johnson’s unredacted WhatsApp messages and notebooks.
“There’s some cover-up going on here to save embarrassment of ministers,” he said.
“But there’s also the Cabinet Office fighting for a principle of confidentiality.”
Responding to his comments, Rishi Sunkak’s official spokesperson said: “We want to learn the lessons about the actions of the state during the pandemic, we want that to be done rigorously and candidly.”
Mr Johnson is among those who will give evidence to the inquiry, which is due to start hearings in two weeks
(PA)
Sunak to visit Washington DC for talks with Joe Biden
Rishi Sunak will travel to Washington next week for talks with Joe Biden.
The two leaders are expected to discuss trade issues – although the idea of a full-blown deal has fallen by the wayside since the US President replaced Donald Trump in the White House – as well as the war in Ukraine.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The visit will be an opportunity to build on discussions the Prime Minister and President Biden have had in recent months about enhancing the level of co-operation and co-ordination between the UK and US on the economic challenges that will define our future, including securing our supply chains and transitioning to zero-carbon economies.
“It will also be an opportunity to discuss issues including sustaining our support for Ukraine as we build on the success of our G7 summit in the run-up to the Nato summit in July.”
Discussions will cover the economy, the environment and the war in Ukraine.
