Covid inquiry threatens legal action after Boris Johnson’s WhatsApps ‘withheld’

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The chairwoman has demanded Mr Johnson’s phone exchanges with his senior ministers, senior civil servants and advisers during the pandemic – insisting they were of “potential relevance” to the inquiry. Baroness Hallett rejected arguments made by the Cabinet Office against release of “personal” exchanges – warning government officials of possible criminal sanctions in the event of legal action. Baroness Hallett said: “Whilst those redactions have now been removed, it was not a promising start.” Under the legal notice, the inquiry chair – who said “entire contents of the documents” were of “potential relevance to the lines of investigation that I am pursuing” – said the Cabinet Office must provide the details by 30 May. Mr Johnson’s spokesman said it was “totally untrue” there had been further rule breaches – and said Cabinet Office officials decided to make “unfounded suggestions both to the police and to the privileges committee”.