Covid investigation heads to litigation with cabinet over government officials' plans to halt ministerial WhatsApp transmissions.
An inquiry was made for unedited copies of Boris Johnson's messages and 24 diaries from January 2020 to February 2022.
Baroness Hallett , chair of the commission of inquiry, last week threatened legal action after the cabinet refused to allow WhatsApp messaging involving the former prime minister.
She gave the government until 4 p.m. Tuesday to prepare the messages. However, The Telegraph understands that the Cabinet has no intention of delivering them.
A senior source in Whitehall said the government was “confident” in its position that the messages were irrelevant to the then prime minister's role in the pandemic.< /p>
The Telegraph understands that other ministers are concerned that their unredacted WhatsApp could be shared with the Covid investigation.
This raises the possibility that the investigation may be delayed even further as it has already been delayed while the names of government officials are edited. >Whitehall source says he is confident in his legal stance on refusing to send WhatsApp to Covid request. Photo: JACK HILL/AFP. plans that it will last up to seven years. In the meantime, the chairman of the Covid investigation in Sweden has already completed his final report.
The Cabinet has refused to provide all of Mr. Johnson's communications to Investigation Chair Baroness Hallett, saying it would be a “serious invasion of privacy.”
She warned that failure to comply with her order under section 21 of the Investigations Act to disclose materials will be tantamount to a criminal offense.
The government says it has already turned over more than 55,000 documents and has said if it releases material it deems “definitely irrelevant” it could set a harmful precedent.
Last night, former Tory leader Sir Ian Duncan Smith urged the cabinet to stick to its decision not to release the information.< /p>
He accused Lady Hallett of “trying to be Agatha Christie”, turning the investigation into “baby bullshit” rather than “what bullshit” ”.
Boris Johnson, a former prime minister, testified to the Privileges Committee for Partygate in March. Photo: ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
“I think it's completely unnecessary to go after individuals,” he said. “The key here is what happened, why it happened, was it necessary, and if not, was there a better way to do it, and what are the lessons for the future.
” fishing expedition and they should stop to fish. There is enough evidence to understand what went wrong.
“You don't need to get unredacted messages, we know what the government has done, what else are you going to find out?”
Earlier this year, the Cabinet set out its approach to the investigation, stating its opinion that “definitely irrelevant” evidence will not be released under human rights and data protection laws.
They wrote: “The lack of jurisdiction over unequivocally irrelevant evidence becomes even more evident in circumstances where these the evidence is personal and private.”
“The investigation is required to fulfill the duties of a data controller in accordance with the UK GDPR. to protect personal data and as a public authority under the Human Rights Act 1998 to act in accordance with Article 8 of the ECHR.
“Whatsapp messages are likely to involve the processing of personal data, potentially various data subjects, and possibly data of a certain degree of sensitivity (including special category data as defined in Article 9), including junior officials whose identity is otherwise case is generally accepted by the Inquiry. should be redacted.”
Last night, a cabinet spokesman said: “We are fully committed to our commitment to the Covid investigation. Thus, over the past 11 months, a lot of time and effort has been spent on fully assisting the investigation. We will continue to provide all relevant materials for the investigation in accordance with the law until the start of the trial.”
Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrats' health spokesperson, said: “The full evidence requested by the head of the Covid investigation would turn the entire this process is a mockery and would be yet another insult to the families of the victims who are still waiting for justice.
"The public deserves the whole truth about what went wrong. Important evidence should not be kept secret just to spare ministers. blushes."
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