Boris Johnson – latest: Ex-PM goes over Sunak’s head to send unredacted WhatsApps ‘directly’ to inquiry
WhatsApp row rumbles on as ex-PM vows to bypass government and send information straight to inquiry
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox
Get our free View from Westminster email
Boris Johnson has told the Covid-19 Inquiry that he is willing to hand over “all unredacted WhatsApp” messages – including 2020 material from a previous phone discarded for security reasons.
The former prime minister is under fire once again after it emerged on Thursday that he had only handed over Covid-related messages from May 2021 or later to Cabinet Office officials.
In a letter to inquiry chair Baroness Hallett, Mr Johnson said he would today hand over all the material already given to the Cabinet Office “in unredacted form” to her team.
Earlier, a minister said Rishi Sunak’s legal bid to prevent the inquiry from obtaining WhatsApp messages sent by Boris Johnson to government colleagues during the pandemic was likely to fail.
Science minister George Freeman, appearing on BBC Question Time, insisted the Cabinet Office decision to launch judicial review proceedings was not a “cynical waste of time” but admitted he thought the prospect of success unlikely.
The Cabinet Office is seeking a judicial review of inquiry chairwoman Baroness Hallett’s order to release the documents, arguing it should not have to hand over irrelevant material.
Burnham in plea to ‘rewire’ Britain and boost devolution
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has said he understands the SNP’s claims that the Westminster government is “destroying devolution”.
The Labour politician cited his own conflict with the UK government during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he accused the Tories of “bullying” his region into accepting less than the requested £65 million business support package.
His comments came as first minister Humza Yousaf hit out at the UK government and claimed Scotland’s deposit return scheme could be scrapped after it failed to grant an Internal Market Act exemption that means glass can be included.
Rebecca McCurdy reports:
Burnham in plea to ‘rewire’ Britain and boost devolution
The Greater Manchester mayor said he understands the SNP’s claims that the UK Government is ‘destroying devolution’.
Boris tells Covid inquiry he wants to hand over all phone messages unredacted
Boris Johnson has told the Covid-19 Inquiry that he is willing to hand over “all unredacted WhatsApp” messages – including 2020 material from a previous phone discarded for security reasons.
The former prime minister is under fire once again after it emerged on Thursday that he had only handed over Covid-related messages from May 2021 or later to Cabinet Office officials.
In a letter to inquiry chair Baroness Hallett, Mr Johnson said he would today hand over all the material already given to the Cabinet Office “in unredacted form” to her team.
Adam Forrest has the full report:
Boris tells Covid inquiry he wants to hand over all his phone messages
Ex-PM says he is keen to provide messages from his old phone – discarded for security reasons
SNP MP to make donation to charity after Independent reveals he expensed penalty charge
An SNP MP says he will be making a donation to charity after an Independent investigation found he had put a driving penalty charge on expenses.
Dave Doogan said he recognised he had made a mistake and had repaid the cash. He also apologised to his constituents for making the claim.
Mr Doogan was one of several MPs, including a Tory minister, to have expensed the penalties issued by Transport for London.
Jon Stone reports:
SNP MP to make donation to charity after Independent reveals he expensed penalty
Dave Doogan said he had repaid the money and apologised to his constituents for the error
‘Kamikaze’ Boris sets his sights on Sunak revenge
There is no aspect of politics or public life that is any more than just a game for Johnson, and taking Sunak down with him would certainly count as a victory, writes Tom Peck
Read Tom’s full piece here:
‘Kamikaze’ Boris sets his sights on Sunak revenge | Tom Peck
There is no aspect of politics or public life that is any more than just a game for Johnson, and taking Sunak down with him would certainly count as a victory, writes Tom Peck
How on earth did a Brexit trade deal come to be signed by Boris on a bit of paper from the loo?
The UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement wasn’t literally written on bog roll – but it may as well have been, so much did it damage British agriculture, writes Sean O’Grady
Read Sean’s piece here:
How did a Brexit trade deal come to be signed on paper from the loo? | Sean O’Grady
The UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement wasn’t literally written on bog roll – but it may as well have been, so much did it damage British agriculture, writes Sean O’Grady
Brexit: ‘Things can only get better’ say experts
The problems of Brexit red tape have hit a “low ebb”, according to David Henig, the independent trade adviser, in an Independent online event on Thursday. From this new baseline, “things can only get better”.
The panel agreed that there were changes that could be made, either by a Labour government or a Conservative one, over the next few years that would make trade easier without Britain going back into the EU single market or customs union.
Simon Calder, the Independent’s travel correspondent, said that the biggest single sin of Brexit on travel was the UK’s refusal to recognise EU identity cards. It has had a terrible effect on school trips coming to the UK, many of which are going to Ireland instead. It would be easy for the government to relax the rules.
John Rentoul reports:
Brexit: ‘Things can only get better’ say experts
The problems of Brexit red tape have hit “low ebb”, according to David Henig, the independent trade adviser, in an Independent online event on Thursday. From this new baseline, “things can only get better”.
Dozens of refugees ‘left on the streets’ in Westminster for two nights
Suella Braverman has been asked to “urgently clarify” why a large group of asylum seekers were “left on the street” in Westminster for two nights running.
In a letter to the home Secretary, the leader of Westminster City Council expressed his “deep concern” that around 40 refugees were placed in the borough on Wednesday night “without appropriate accommodation or support available” and no prior communication with the local authority.
The group apparently refused to enter a Pimlico hotel where the Home Office had asked them to sleep “four people per room”.
Sophie Wingate reports:
Dozens of refugees ‘left on the streets’ in Westminster for two nights
The asylum seekers apparently refused to enter a hotel in which the Home Office asked them to sleep ‘four people per room’.
Economists dismiss Tory push to scrap inheritance tax
Calls by senior Tories to abolish inheritance tax (IHT) have been met with scepticism from senior economists and tax experts.
More than 50 Conservative MPs, including former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, have urged prime minister Rishi Sunak and chancellor Jeremy Hunt to scrap the tax, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Sophie Wingate reports:
Economists dismiss Tory push to scrap inheritance tax
Senior economist Paul Johnson said the ‘genuinely unfair’ tax, which is ‘absurdly easy to avoid’ for the super rich, should be reformed.
How Boris blundered into £10bn Australia trade deal concession scrawled on paper in the loo
Boris Johnson blundered into a crucial Brexit trade deal concession with Australia over a chaotic dinner with prime minister Scott Morrison at No 10, it was claimed today.
He was bounced into signing a disastrous post-Brexit agreement after the Australians seized on a schoolboy howler over meat import quotas during negotiations.
Adam Forrest reports:
How Boris signed £10bn Australia trade deal concession scrawled on paper in the loo
‘Your boss has conceded the whole kingdom’, Australian negotiator said to have told Liz Truss
150 questions the Covid inquiry wants Boris Johnson to answer
The Covid inquiry has sent Boris Johnson a list of 150 questions and requests for his witness statement, documents released by the Cabinet Office have shown.
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry wants to see WhatsApp messages and notebooks kept by the former prime minister to build a picture of how decisions were taken in government up to and during lockdowns.
But Rishi Sunak has refused to release unredacted documents as his government on Thursday launched legal action in a last-ditch attempt to protect the material.
Here are some of the key questions the inquiry intends to ask:
150 questions the Covid inquiry wants Boris Johnson to answer
The Covid inquiry wants to know why Mr Johnson did not attend Cobra meetings and if he was given advice on sacking Matt Hancock
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies