Ministers ‘must tell all to Covid inquiry’
SENIOR Tories last night called on the government to release everything the Covid inquiry demands as the stand- off threatens to end up in court.
Ministers were warned they will probably lose if the row over which WhatsApp messages should be released ends up before judges.
Former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland also cautioned against causing delays to bereaved families who “cannot wait a moment longer” for a resolution.
He said the courts are going to be “very reluctant to get involved in second guessing” the decision-making by inquiry chairwoman Baroness Hallett.
He added: “They are going to have to decide that she has got things very wrong indeed before they wish to intervene,.
“Therefore doesn’t it beg this question – the old wartime adage – is your journey really necessary?”
Conservative former minister Sir Edward Leigh urged the Government to release all information to the inquiry. He said: “My strong advice to the Government, for whatever it’s worth, is let everything hang out and just cooperate with the inquiry.
“Let them have what they want and let’s get to the truth.”
The Government insists some of the material Lady Hallett has asked for is not relevant and handing it over would set a dangerous precedent.
Boris Johnson has urged the Government to disclose all messages to the inquiry and said he would do so directly if needed.
But Cabinet Office lawyers have written to him warning he could lose public funding for legal advice if he breaks conditions such as releasing evidence without permission.
Former health minister Lord Bethell played down the importance of the WhatsApp messages, insisting it was not used as a way of making major policy decisions.
It follows claims three WhatsApp groups involving Mr Johnson, former health secretary Matt Hancock and Cabinet Secretary Simon
Case were used for decision-making during the pandemic.
Chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty, former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, Mr Johnson’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings, and communications director Lee Cain were also reportedly in the groups, one of which had a membership of around 30.
Lord Bethell said: “We need these tramlines, that’s why the court case is a good idea.
“The reality is that, when you have several hundred thousand WhatsApps and you’re going through them one by one and trying to decide on the edge cases, whether or not they should be included, you end up having to surrender an enormous amount that I would typically term personal.” But he said the scope for what the inquiry needed could be wider.
He added: “Therefore in order to achieve the greatest amount of candour you put in stuff that you wouldn’t reasonably be happy with.”