A breakthrough has been made in the UK Covid inquiry, as Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages before May 2021, which are crucial for the investigation into the government’s decision-making during the pandemic, have now been downloaded. The delay in accessing these messages was due to the former Prime Minister’s old phone, for which he couldn’t recall the passcode. Technicians were hesitant to attempt entering the code fearing it could potentially lead to data loss.
However, last week, the government managed to find a record of Johnson’s PIN code, allowing technical experts to successfully recover all relevant messages from the device. A spokesman for the government stated that the material would now undergo a security check by the Cabinet Office before further progress on delivering it to the inquiry could be made, putting the timing under the Cabinet Office’s control.
The inquiry had requested WhatsApp messages from a group chat related to the pandemic response and one-to-one exchanges between Boris Johnson and approximately 40 politicians, advisers, and officials, including Rishi Sunak and Simon Case. The government initially tried to block the release of unredacted messages, arguing some were irrelevant to the inquiry. However, the High Court ruled in favor of the inquiry, ordering the government to hand over the messages unredacted.
The release of the messages to the inquiry doesn’t guarantee public access in full, as the Cabinet Office may apply for redactions before sharing them with core participants, which include other witnesses, government departments, and bereaved family groups. Additionally, the inquiry itself may decide on redactions or even choose not to make them public at all.
The recovered messages could shed light on the ordering of three lockdowns in 2020, providing crucial insight into the government’s response to the pandemic during Johnson’s tenure as Prime Minister. As the inquiry continues, the public awaits further developments and transparency regarding the handling of the pandemic at the highest levels of government.
