The former prime minister's latest move will make Rishi Sunak follow suit. Photo: ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Boris Johnson handed over all his unedited WhatsApp messages and notebooks during the pandemic to the government in defiance of Rishi Sunak.
The former prime minister said he wanted to that the material be submitted in full to the Covid investigation, despite the fact that the cabinet has so far refused to release unredacted reports and documents.
Baroness Hallett, chairman of the investigation, has threatened the government with legal action if it refuses to turn over the full copies of Mr. Johnson's messages and diaries, and those of a key aide by 4:00 pm on Thursday.
But last night, Whitehall sources said Mr. Sunak would stand firm and refuse to provide unredacted material from him or any minister for investigation.
Cabinet officials reviewed Mr. Johnson's messages on Wednesday evening, and may edit them if they are deemed out of date.
The brawl between the government and investigators involved officials saying on Tuesday they didn't even have Mr Johnson's reports, prompting the former prime minister to provide them.
Mr Johnson's team said they he would be happy to have all his information presented, putting pressure on Mr. Sunak and other ministers to follow suit. Mr Johnson's office said in a statement on Wednesday: «All Boris Johnson materials, including WhatsApp and notebooks, requested as part of the Covid investigation have been released to Cabinet in full and unedited.»
“Mr Johnson urges the Cabinet to report this to the investigation without delay. The Cabinet of Ministers had access to this material for several months. Mr. Johnson would immediately report this to the investigation if asked.
“While Mr. Johnson understands the government’s position and does not try to contradict it, he is perfectly happy that the investigation has access to this material in any required form.
“Mr Johnson has fully cooperated with the investigation from the very beginning of this process and continues to do so. Indeed, he established an investigation. He looks forward to continuing to assist the investigation in its important work.» jeopardize the privacy of ministers.
A source in Whitehall said: «We adhere to the principle that irrelevant information should not be sent to the investigation.»
Sunak, accused of «cover-up»,
Downing Street insisted it was following the process as to what information was made public, indicating it had no intention of providing unredacted messages from Mr Sunak, who was chancellor during the pandemic.
On Wednesday, the government declined to say whether the investigation asked Mr. Sunak for his WhatsApp messages, following allegations of «cover-up.»
A ally of Mr. Johnson said earlier this week that the Cabinet pushed for amendments to protect the prime minister. The quarrel raised fears that the investigation will not be able to establish the truth about the decisions and mistakes of the government during the pandemic.
This came after The Telegraph blocked the files that led to the discovery of a batch of 100,000 WhatsApp. sent to Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the pandemic.
At the time, a spokesman for Mr. Hancock indicated that such reports were best dealt with in an investigation. Since then, however, government battles have begun behind the scenes to keep information confidential.
So far, the investigation has required Mr. Johnson and Senior Aide Henry Cooke to hand over their messages and notebooks, and is likely to require some 40 more senior ministers and officials to do the same.
The Cabinet disputes the request, stating that the investigation has no right to receive «definitely irrelevant material» from any minister or official.
Pressure to release information
On Wednesday, senior Tories called the Cabinet Office to change their position. William Wragg, chairman of the House of Commons Committee on Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs, told the BBC: «If an investigation asks for documents and information, whoever it asked for should obey.»
Caroline Noakes, chairman of the equality committee, said Lady Hallett was unlikely to flip and «the government will hurt less if it gets [messages] out quickly.»
Christine Jardine, Liberal Democratic MP said: «Rishi Sunak must now confirm that he will pass on any messages requested as part of the Covid investigation, including those sent by him and other Conservative ministers.
«He is no longer can use Boris Johnson. as an excuse to avoid handing over vital evidence. The families of the victims are still waiting for answers. They deserve so much more than just another conservative stitch.»
Chalking the lawsuit by the prime minister «would be a mistake»
Lord Sumption, a former Supreme Court judge, said it would be a «political mistake» for the government to take legal action over Covid's evidence requirements.
«If Lady Hallett says [the messages] are in the public interests, and [the law] says she has to decide in the first instance, then they will not succeed in a judicial review, so all they will achieve by resisting is to give the impression that they are hiding something,” he said.
«I think that would be both a political mistake and a legal buffer.»
He told BBC Radio 4's World At One that Lady Hallett's Terms of Reference was » very broad,” and the Investigations Act gave her the right to demand documents.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the government could not comment on what was or was not requested as it was to explain the Covid investigation.
A spokesman for the Covid investigation said he would not disclose if they had asked Mr. Sunak for his reports.
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