Rosalind Evans
Boris Johnson has professed that he has turned over his WhatsApp conversations and notebooks to the government for subsequent transfer to the Covid investigation.
The probe team has instructed the Cabinet Office to provide the unredacted documentation before 4 pm this Thursday.
A representative for the erstwhile Prime Minister has pressed the Cabinet Office to “promptly make it available to the investigation.”
However, the Cabinet Office has contended that some parts of the documentation are irrelevant to the investigation’s mission.
The spokesman for Mr. Johnson indicated that the Cabinet Office has had “availability of this documentation for a couple of months,” and he would willingly share it directly with the investigation if requested.
“While Mr. Johnson comprehends the stance of the government and doesn’t intend to challenge it, he is content for the investigation to utilize this documentation in whichever way they need,” he continued.
Mr. Johnson is among the individuals who will present evidence to the investigation, scheduled to commence hearings in a fortnight.
The documentation includes 24 notebooks filled with real-time notes and his personal diaries, and WhatsApp exchanges between Mr. Johnson and cabinet ministers, advisors, and senior civil servants.
On Tuesday, the investigation disclosed it had been informed that the Cabinet Office did not currently possess the WhatsApp conversations or notebooks.
If the department still needs the documentation by Thursday, the investigation instructed that it should instead furnish its correspondence with Mr. Johnson regarding this matter.
The Cabinet Office has discussed this issue with Mr. Johnson, including interactions on Wednesday.
The BBC has inquired with the department whether it now possesses the critical information it previously claimed was missing.
The government has contended that the investigation does not hold the authority to demand “indisputably relevant information,” such as private messages.
Nonetheless, the investigation’s chairwoman, independent peer Baroness Hallett, stated that it was her responsibility, not the government’s, to determine relevancy.
This could escalate into a legal conflict between the government and the investigation, with the courts deciding on what information is made accessible.
The BBC has learned that the Cabinet Office’s legal team visited Mr. Johnson’s office to examine the notebooks.
Subsequently, Mr. Johnson has ceased cooperation with his government-appointed legal counsel and is arranging for his own.
Opposition parties and advocacy groups representing families that suffered losses have demanded that the documentation be fully disclosed to the investigation.
This ongoing controversy surrounding the Covid investigation and the involvement of Boris Johnson continues to draw widespread attention. The government and Johnson’s team are standing their ground on their respective stances, intensifying the anticipation of the upcoming inquiry hearings. As the countdown to Thursday’s deadline approaches, all eyes are on the Cabinet Office, with many awaiting its next course of action concerning the demanded material.
