Remains of missing baby found in wooded area near location of Constance Marten and her partner`s arrest in Brighton

An extraordinary war of words has erupted over events at the centre of government during the Covid pandemic after more than 100,000 of Matt Hancock’s WhatsApp texts were leaked. As he fought for his political reputation, the health secretary claimed through a spokesperson the messages had been “doctored” and “spun to fit an antilockdown agenda”. It was “flat wrong” to say Mr Hancock had rejected advice to test all residents going into care homes, the spokesperson added. The government was also accused of hiding behind the official Covid inquiry after it stonewalled questions over the delivery of a Covid test to Jacob Rees-Mogg’s home despite a shortage. Prime minister Rishi Sunak is now under pressure to fast-track the inquiry in order to provide answers to questions raised by the leak, which also suggested that English schoolchildren had to wear masks because ministers did not want a row with Nicola Sturgeon, that Boris Johnson was privately dismissive of his own government’s shielding policy, and George Osborne warned Mr Hancock: “No one thinks testing is going well Matt.”