The UK's Covid-19 inquiry has demanded that the government hand over former Prime Minister Boris Johnson's WhatsApp messages and pandemic diaries. However, the government has refused to do so, stating that the documents are "unambiguously irrelevant" to the official investigation into how ministers and officials handled the coronavirus outbreak.
The Cabinet Office announced on Thursday that it would be filing for a judicial review into the request by Heather Hallett, the retired judge appointed by the government to lead the inquiry. This move has raised concerns of a possible cover-up, as the requested documents are also likely to include correspondence between Rishi Sunak, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, and Johnson.
Opposition politicians, families of Covid victims, and even some members of the governing Conservative Party have called on the government to comply with the request. However, the government has refused to hand over the documents, stating that the inquiry does not have the power to request such information.
The Cabinet Office has argued that it has already provided over 55,000 documents, 24 personal witness statements, and eight corporate statements to the inquiry and that Hallett does not have the authority to demand the information she has requested. Hallett, on the other hand, has insisted that everything should be disclosed, and it is up to her to determine what is relevant to her work.
The approach taken by the government has raised concerns about transparency and accountability, particularly given the sensitive nature of the requested documents. The Tories' focus on the vaccine rollout to end lockdowns and reopen the economy has overlooked more controversial aspects, such as allegations of corruption, testing shortages, and the death of thousands of older Britons in care homes.
Both Johnson and Sunak were fined for breaking Covid-19 rules, and Johnson was widely criticized for missing early emergency meetings on how the UK should respond to the crisis. Meanwhile, Sunak's "Eat Out to Help Out" program to encourage people to return to restaurants in the summer of 2020 sparked objections from health experts who said it contributed to the spread of the virus.
The government's top lawyer, James Eadie, is reported to have advised against sharing information with the inquiry by default and blocking the release of "politically sensitive" pandemic-related material. Nevertheless, the public and the inquiry's investigators are demanding answers, and it remains to be seen how this legal battle will play out.