Tory donor pledges to crowdfund Boris Johnson’s Covid Inquiry legal fees

A major Conservative Party donor has offered to crowdfund Boris Johnson’s Covid Inquiry legal fees after Cabinet Office lawyers threatened to cut him off from the public purse.

Lord Cruddas, an outspoken backer of the former prime minister, urged Mr Johnson not to be “held to ransom” by the warning, as he could “easily” gather donations from supporters to plug the gap.

The MP has been told he will lose access to taxpayer funds to cover the cost of his legal advice if he tries to “frustrate or undermine” the Government’s position in relation to the inquiry.

Lawyers for the Cabinet Office wrote to the former premier warning him that the public money will “cease to be available” if he breaks conditions such as releasing evidence without permission.

But Lord Cruddas, who has donated millions to the Conservative Party, assured him that he could “easily” gather the necessary funds from supporters.

“Don’t worry @BorisJohnson I can easily get your legal fees funded by supporters and crowd funding, it’s easy,” he tweeted.

“Don’t be held to ransom, do the right thing for the bereaved families. It’s them that matter now more than anything.”

Details of the letter emerged after ministers launched a High Court bid to challenge the inquiry’s demand for Mr Johnson’s unredacted WhatsApp messages and notebooks.

The former prime minister has vowed to send all his messages to the official investigation directly, circumventing the Cabinet Office.

It comes as a former SNP health secretary has claimed Scotland’s Covid inquiry is yet to demand that WhatsApp messages from key figures such as Nicola Sturgeon are handed over.

Jeane Freeman, who was in post during the most acute phase of the pandemic, revealed on Sunday that she was yet to receive any request to disclose private discussions, despite bereaved families calling for the move.

On Sunday, Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, said the Government will not restrict what Mr Johnson can tell the inquiry, insisting he is “at liberty” to send over all his documents and messages if he wants to.

But he said taxpayer funds must be used for “appropriate purposes”.

The letter to Mr Johnson, revealed by The Sunday Times, said: “The funding offer will cease to be available to you if you knowingly seek to frustrate or undermine, either through your own actions or the actions of others, the Government’s position in relation to the inquiry unless there is a clear and irreconcilable conflict of interest on a particular point at issue.”

The lawyers added that funding would “only remain available” if he complies with conditions such as sending the Cabinet Office “any witness statement or exhibit which you intend to provide to the inquiry so that it can be security checked by appropriate officials”.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said the letter was “intended to protect public funds” and “in no way prevents Mr Johnson from providing whatever evidence he wants to”.

It is understood that he will not lose the taxpayer funding even if he decides to send all his unredacted WhatsApps and notebooks to the investigation because they are deemed to be his personal property.

He would be more likely to forgo the public money if he opted not to co-operate with the investigation by refusing to hand over relevant evidence, and was subsequently forced to defend himself in court.

Mr Jenrick told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: “It’s entirely up to the former prime minister how he co-operates with the inquiry – if he wishes to send his documents or WhatsApp messages to them then he’s at liberty to do so.

“I think a letter has been sent from the Cabinet Office to him to say that as he is using taxpayers’ funds to pay for his lawyers, then that funding has to be used for appropriate purposes.

“But he can advance whatever arguments he wants to and make whatever statements he wishes in his witness statement to the inquiry.

“There’s absolutely no sense that the Government will restrict what Boris Johnson wants to say. But if you use taxpayers’ funds, obviously you should make sure you’re using them appropriately.”

Mr Jenrick denied there were fears in No 10 that Rishi Sunak’s messages could reveal a plot to try to bring down Mr Johnson, saying: “No, as I say, the issue here is a simple legal one.”