Rishi Sunak is facing a barrage of criticism in the run-up to the official Covid-19 inquiry as a leading scientist attacks his “spectacularly stupid” Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which is believed to have caused a sudden rise in cases of the virus. The prime minister’s role as chancellor during the pandemic is under… Read More »
The Metropolitan police’s reputation on racism is again under scrutiny after it emerged that officers involved in the death of a man who was Tasered on a London bridge are under investigation for allegedly failing to cooperate with an official inquiry into the high-profile tragedy. A year ago tomorrow on Sunday, Oladeji Omishore, 41, fell… Read More »
Vaishnaw reached the accident spot and took stock of the situation at the accident site in Balasore. (Pic: ANI) Speaking on the accident he called it tragic and said, “It’s a big tragic accident. Railway, NDRF, SDRF, and State govt are conducting the rescue operation. The best possible healthcare facilities will be provided.” Ashwini Vaishnaw,… Read More »
When Boris Johnson first announced a public inquiry into Covid, many observers saw it as an attempt to kick difficult questions into the long grass. Two years on, in a twist that may well amuse the former prime minister, that long grass is littered with political bear traps for Rishi Sunak. Such are the complexities… Read More »
Two senior Conservatives have expressed doubts over Rishi Sunak’s controversial decision to launch legal action against the public inquiry into the government’s handling of Covid-19. George Freeman, the science minister, said he believed the challenge was unlikely to succeed, while the former Downing Street chief of staff Gavin Barwell said it should not have been… Read More »
Cabinet Office has made ‘bad mistake’ refusing to submit files to Covid inquiry, says Tory peer Good morning and welcome to the UK politics live blog. We begin with news that the government has made a “bad mistake” by refusing to submit Boris Johnson’s unredacted documents to the Covid 19 inquiry, according to former Downing… Read More »
A minister has suggested the Government will “probably” lose its legal challenge against the official Covid inquiry over the disclosure of Boris Johnson’s unredacted WhatsApp messages and diaries. George Freeman, the science minister, said he believed it was “quite likely that the courts will rule that Baroness Hallett [the Covid inquiry chairwoman] will decide what… Read More »
Rishi Sunak’s administration refused a demand from the UK’s Covid-19 inquiry to hand over former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages and pandemic diaries, setting up a legal battle that risks amplifying accusations of a cover-up. The Cabinet Office on Thursday said it’s filing for a judicial review into the request for the unredacted documents… Read More »
The already knotty row over Boris Johnson’s unredacted WhatsApps has been even more complicated by ministers launching legal action against the official Covid inquiry. How did the row begin? The Cabinet Office has refused to pass on Johnson’s unredacted WhatsApps and notebooks for two reasons. Primarily, senior Whitehall bosses believe they should decide what information… Read More »
Rishi Sunak’s administration refused a demand from the UK’s Covid-19 inquiry to hand over former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages and pandemic diaries, setting up a legal battle that risks amplifying accusations of a cover-up. Shortly before the deadline to comply on Thursday, Sunak told reporters he was “confident” in the government position. (AP/File)… Read More »
The legal tug of war between the Covid inquiry and the Cabinet Office continues this week. Gaby Hinsliff sits in for John Harris, and talks to the former Downing Street chief of staff Gavin Barwell and the former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal about the possible reasons for the government’s position How to listen to podcasts:… Read More »
Boris Johnson has handed over a tranche of WhatsApps and notebooks to the Cabinet Office, challenging it to release the documents in unredacted form to the Covid inquiry. In a move that will pose a major headache for the government, Johnson released a new statement saying it should “urgently disclose” the contents to the public… Read More »
The government has “absolutely nothing to hide” from the Covid inquiry and intends to be “absolutely transparent”, a cabinet minister has said, after Rishi Sunak faced accusations of attempting to cover up the actions of senior MPs during the pandemic. The Covid inquiry, led by the retired judge Heather Hallett, has used its powers to… Read More »
Labour accuses prime minister of being ‘slippery’ over Covid inquiry messages Good morning and welcome to the UK politics live blog. We begin the day with the Labour party accusing Rishi Sunak of being “slippery” in the row over whether the government will hand over Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages and other documents to the Covid… Read More »
Dr Barjinder Singh Hamdard, Editor-in-Chief of Punjabi newspaper Ajit, has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking to transfer the vigilance inquiry initiated against him to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a fresh probe. Alleging that the present probe was “motivated and biased”, he has sought to stay further proceedings by the… Read More »
The Cabinet Office and Boris Johnson are at loggerheads over a trove of information requested by the Covid inquiry, as officials said they did not have the material but allies of the former prime minister insisted he had shown it to government lawyers. The cache is at the centre of a huge battle after the… Read More »
Wrangling over Boris Johnson’s notebooks and WhatsApp messages continues in earnest, with the government and the official Covid inquiry locked in a standoff over what should be shared. What has the inquiry asked for? A vast trove of documents was requested by Heather Hallett, the chair of the public inquiry into the government’s handling of… Read More »
Good morning. Like the aftermath of a bad-tempered bank holiday barbeque, the start of this four day week begins with a stand-off with neither side backing down. The deadline for unredacted messages between Boris Johnson and the government to be sent to the Covid inquiry closes at 4pm. So far the Cabinet Office and Johnson… Read More »
Ministers could be set for a legal battle with the Covid-19 inquiry over the requested release of unredacted WhatsApp messages and diaries belonging to Boris Johnson. The Cabinet Office has until 4pm on Tuesday to respond to the request from Lady Hallett’s official inquiry. There has so far been little sign that ministers are set… Read More »
Ministers are holding firm against demands from the Covid inquiry to release all of Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages. The Cabinet Office has until 4pm tomorrow to respond to the request or risk legal action. It has refused to hand over the messages on the grounds it would be a “serious intrusion of privacy” and warns… Read More »
The Cabinet Office could take unprecedented action to prevent Boris Johnson’s unredacted diaries and WhatsApp messages being handed over to the official Covid inquiry, the Guardian had been told. Officials are preparing to issue a response to the inquiry chair, Heather Hallett, by 4pm on Tuesday. Sources said they were likely to resist her demand… Read More »
The government is already at loggerheads with Heather Hallett, chair of the Covid-19 inquiry, over the scope of her remit. The inquiry will start public hearings shortly, with government decisions, political reputations and use of public funds “under the microscope”. When does it start? The first module of the UK Covid-19 inquiry looking into preparedness… Read More »
Boris Johnson has severed ties with government lawyers supporting him during the Covid inquiry, with allies saying he had “lost faith” in the system after he was reported to police over fresh Partygate allegations. The former prime minister said he was currently “unrepresented” and in the process of instructing new solicitors. While Johnson is confident… Read More »
One of Britain’s most senior police officers should face a gross misconduct charge over his role in Operation Midland, the disastrous investigation into claims of a VIP paedophile ring, the police watchdog has concluded. The Independent Office for Police Conduct had previously cleared Steve Rodhouse of wrongdoing for overseeing the Metropolitan police’s operation, which saw… Read More »
The row follows hot on the heels of similar claims made in defence of Home Secretary Suella Braverman after a leak about her and a speeding ticket seemingly done with the intention of forcing her out. Mr Tierney was involved in investigating Partygate and it has been claimed by a former minister that he would… Read More »