James stellerA deadline of 4pm on Tuesday 30 May had been set by the COVID inquiry for all information to be passed to them by the Cabinet Office, but the government department later revealed they did not have the data and asked for an extension.
The deadline for the government to hand over Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages to the COVID Inquiry has been extended.
Inquiry chair Lady Hallett had ordered the government to hand over the messages – alongside diary entries and notes – by 4pm on Tuesday 30 May.
The deadline for the government to hand over Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages to the COVID inquiry has been extended.
The inquiry, which is looking into the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, had originally set a deadline of 4pm on Tuesday for the messages to be handed over. However, the government has now asked for an extension until 4pm on Thursday.
The inquiry’s chair, Baroness Hallett, said she was “disappointed” by the request for an extension, but she had agreed to it “in the interests of fairness”.
The government has said that it is still working to comply with the inquiry’s request, and that it will hand over all of the relevant messages as soon as possible.
The inquiry is expected to publish its findings in the autumn.
The extension of the deadline comes as the inquiry is facing increasing pressure to investigate allegations that the government misled the public about the COVID-19 pandemic.
In particular, the inquiry is looking into allegations that the government knew about the severity of the pandemic earlier than it has admitted, and that it failed to take adequate steps to protect the public.
The government has denied these allegations, but the inquiry is expected to focus on them in its report.
The extension of the deadline for the government to hand over Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages is likely to add to the pressure on the government.
The inquiry is seen as a last chance for the government to clear its name, and the failure to hand over the messages could be seen as an admission of guilt.
The inquiry’s findings are also likely to have a significant impact on the political landscape in the UK.
If the inquiry finds that the government misled the public, it could lead to calls for Boris Johnson to resign.
The inquiry is also likely to have a significant impact on the public’s trust in the government.
If the inquiry finds that the government failed to take adequate steps to protect the public, it could lead to a loss of trust in the government’s ability to handle future crises.
The deadline has now set been 4pm on Thursday 1 June. The Cabinet Office asked for an extension to Monday 5 June as they do not have access to Mr Johnson‘s messages or notebooks, but this was rejected.
WHAT IS THE COVID INQUIRY ASKING FOR?
- Unredacted messages sent and received by Boris Johnson between 1 January 2020 and 24 February 2022.
- Unredacted diaries for Mr Johnson between 1 January 2020 and 24 February 2022
- Copies of 24 unredacted notebooks filled in by Mr Johnson between 1 January 2020 and 24 February 2022
- Unredacted messages sent and received by adviser Henry Cook between 1 January 2020 and 24 February 2022.
- The inquiry wants messages – even from group chats – about the government response to COVID, as well as contact with a list of certain experts, ministers, civil servants and advisers
This is despite saying in their original appeal against the order that there was “unambiguously irrelevant” material in the redacted parts of messages sent to the inquiry.
When the Cabinet Office lodged the appeal on 15 May, it said Mr Johnson’s WhatsApp messages had not yet been received by the government.
A spokesman for the former prime minister said today that he had “no objection” to sending the material to the inquiry.
James steller
