Rishi Sunak: I’m not worried my Covid WhatsApps will embarrass me

Rishi Sunak has denied that his Government wants to redact Covid messages because he is embarrassed at what his personal WhatsApps might contain.

The Government has taken the Covid Inquiry to court to stop it from receiving messages it deems to be “unambiguously irrelevant”.

But Boris Johnson’s allies have accused the Prime Minister of seeking a judicial review because he was worried about his own WhatsApps, and that they could prove he was plotting against the former prime minister.

Speaking on a trip to Washington, Mr Sunak was asked by the BBC whether he was worried about something in the messages embarrassing him.

He said: “No, not at all. I am co-operating and providing information to the inquiry.

“It’s actually taking a lot of my own time, but that’s right that I do that. But obviously there’s a legal proceeding ongoing on one particular thing at the moment, which I can’t comment on, but more broadly, the work that the inquiry is doing is important and necessary, and those involved should cooperate in a spirit of candour and transparency. That’s what I’m doing and that’s what the Government’s doing.”

Asked whether he was happy for all messages to go forward to the inquiry without redactions, he replied: “As I’ve said, it’s important for me and others to cooperate with the inquiry in a spirit of candour and transparency.

“That’s what I’m doing. And I’m spending a lot of my time on it because it is important that we learn the lessons of Covid. Beyond that, because of the legal proceedings that are ongoing. I can’t comment any further.”

Mr Sunak added: “The Government has handed out and handed over over 55,000 documents so far with more to come. So I think that demonstrates the seriousness with which the Government is taking this.”