The unsightly spat between the government and the Hallett Inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic has escalated, with the Cabinet Office launching High Court action against its own inquiry in efforts to avoid handing over Boris Johnson’s unredacted diaries and WhatsApp messages.
With much speculation about the reasons for this extraordinary move, the consensus seems to be that once some of the documentation is released, it would be very difficult to hold back from other demands in the coming months. Other documents could include potentially embarrassing revelations about the behaviour of politicians still in post – and all this in the run-up to a general election.
Johnson has now bypassed the Cabinet Office by handing over “all unredacted WhatsApps” to the inquiry, telling Baroness Hallett in a letter: “While I understand the government’s position, I am not willing to let my material become a test case for others.” However, messages from before May 2021 – which would have referred to actions in 2020 – are not included as these are said to be on an old phone that he is unable to access due to security concerns.
