The British government has opted to pursue a legal route to withhold certain material from the public inquiry into epidemic management inside the United Kingdom. The decision was announced by the Cabinet Office on Thursday, the same day the inquiry set a deadline for delivering documents, including WhatsApp messages between the prime minister at the height of the pandemic and his aides and other government figures.
The current prime minister, Rishi Sunak, ultimately resisted granting access to this subset of records, which his ministers describe as irrelevant to the investigation. He stated that the government has already cooperated extensively and provided tens of thousands of documents. He added that the government would continue to comply with the law, while noting that some messages fall outside the scope of the inquiry. The executive argued that these messages were private and not part of the formal investigative framework.
The British Administration will launch a legal battle for not forwarding WhatsApp messages exchanged between the former Prime Minister and his subordinates
The Johnson pressure
Despite the reasoning offered, the decision has raised questions about government transparency and the ease with which the commission can access material relevant to its work. It has also sparked speculation about whether sensitive messages, which could implicate former ministers, are driving the stance taken by current officials. Some in government, including Sunak, have indicated a willingness to submit documents if required. This stance has intensified scrutiny on the cabinet office’s handling of the information.
Johnson asserted this week that he has nothing to hide and emphasized his readiness to cooperate with any inquiry he initiated. A spokesman for the former prime minister stated that the Cabinet Office had had access to the information for months and that Johnson would disclose material immediately if requested by the commission. The head of the inquiry, led by lawyer Heather Hallett, has not yet asked the former prime minister to hand over the documents directly, instead pressing the executive to provide the materials.
Johnson says he has nothing to hide and offers to forward the messages himself if the commission of inquiry asks him to.
The war of words
The latest episode follows a tense exchange between the former prime minister and the government after another claim concerning the potential incarceration of Johnson during the pandemic. The cabinet office disclosed information to the police about visits to Checkers, Johnson’s official residence, when such visits were not yet permitted. The material also reached the inquiry into whether Johnson misled Parliament about the so-called Partygate affair. It raised questions about Johnson’s duties as a member of Parliament.
Johnson’s team dismissed this move as a political ploy and criticized the cabinet office for sharing details with police without prior direct contact. They argued that the disclosure was inappropriate and not legally justified. The public airing of these materials casts Johnson in a new light and complicates any return to front-line politics should he be cleared by the inquiry.