MINISTERS will be forced to hand Boris Johnson’s unredacted WhatsApp messages and diaries to the Covid inquiry after losing a legal battle.
The Cabinet Office had been at loggerheads with inquiry chief Lady Hallet over the “unambiguously irrelevant” texts.
Ministers will be forced to hand over Boris Johnson’s unredacted WhatsApp messages and diaries to the Covid inquiry after losing a legal challenge
But in a ruling today Lord Justice Dingemans sided with the inquiry, ordering ministers to hand over the documents.
Hugo Keith KC, acting for the investigation chief Lady Hallet, argued the Cabinet Office deciding what is and isn’t relevant “would emasculate this and future inquiries”.
Lawyers for Boris – who spent weeks calling for his successor to give over the texts – insisted there was a “real danger” of undermining public confidence if Whitehall won.
Officials this afternoon insisted the inquiry and Cabinet Office will still “work together” to ensure the privacy of ministers, civil servants and special advisers is respected as the texts are passed on.
A Government spokesperson said: “The Inquiry is an important step to learn lessons from the pandemic and the Government is cooperating in the spirit of candour and transparency.
“As this judgment acknowledges, our judicial review application was valid as it raised issues over the application of the Inquiries Act 2005 that have now been clarified.
“The Court’s judgment is a sensible resolution and will mean that the Inquiry Chair is able to see the information she may deem relevant, but we can work together to have an arrangement that respects the privacy of individuals and ensures completely irrelevant information is returned and not retained.
“We will comply fully with this judgment and will now work with the Inquiry team on the practical arrangements.”
Government officials previously argued they didn’t want to release the WhatsApps because “important issues of principle” were “at stake”.
They said allowing Lady Hallet to decide what counts as relevant material for her inquiry would affect the “rights of individuals and the proper conduct of government”.
“Individuals, junior officials, current and former Ministers and departments should not be required to provide material that is irrelevant to the Inquiry’s work,” a government lawyer said last month.
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https://hellofaread.com/politics/groper-mp-chris-pincher-set-for-eight-week-suspension-that-may-trigger-rishi-sunaks-fifth-by-election/
