No one in the clear in ‘chatty rat’ inquiry, say sources

THE Cabinet leak inquiry into the “chatty rat” who divulged the second lockdown has cleared no one, say government sources, despite claims that Lee Cain, the former No 10 director of communications, has been exonerated.

The sources said the investigation was still ongoing, and although some may have been cleared of aspects of the leak, no one was fully in the clear including both ministers and special advisers. Claims that Cabinet Office investigators were 90 per cent confident that they had identified one of Michael Gove’s team as the leaker of the lockdown plans were also dismissed as “absolute tosh”.

“The investigation is still live, it’s not concluded,” said the source. “Individuals may have been cleared of one particular part of the leak but that doesn’t mean that they did not confirm other parts of the leak or other leaks.”

The leak inquiry was ordered by a furious Boris Johnson after his plans to launch a second lockdown were leaked before he had made the final decision, forcing him to hold a televised press conference on the Saturday, 24 hours after they were divulged.

The premature disclosure was seen as an attempt to bounce him into a second lockdown, leading to the finger of suspicion being pointed at Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, and Mr Gove, who have been hawkish about tougher restrictions to combat the spread of coronavirus. Both were interviewed and ordered to surrender their phones to investigators as the inquiry, led out of Cabinet Secretary Simon Case’s office, sought to identify the mole.

Both ministers denied any wrongdoing. Mr Hancock reportedly complained to No 10 that he had been unfairly blamed for the leak.

Special advisers in No 10, the Cabinet Office and Health department have been asked to hand over their phones to i nvestigators and have been interviewed.