Zoom Image

Former British Prime Minister: Boris Johnson

Photo: PETER NICHOLLS / REUTERS

There has been a surprising turn in the dispute over WhatsApp messages from former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. According to a spokesman for the ex-prime minister, Johnson handed over all WhatsApp messages and notebooks demanded by an investigative panel to the government agency Cabinet Office.

Johnson is thus putting pressure on the government of incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to pass on the data uncensored, as demanded by the Corona Committee of Inquiry. A deadline that actually expired at 17:00 CEST on Tuesday had previously been extended by 48 hours until Thursday. The Conservative government had refused to share the data in its entirety, claiming that it was not in possession of it.

The independent committee of inquiry, chaired by former judge Lady Heather Hallett, is to investigate the controversial handling of the corona pandemic under Johnson. The current Prime Minister Sunak was then Minister of the Exchequer. It is therefore speculated that he and other cabinet members fear that Johnson's WhatsApp correspondence could also be compromising material for them. In addition, national elections are scheduled for next year. Hallett had threatened the government with criminal consequences if the documents were not handed over.

Government agreements via WhatsApp are not uncommon

Johnson, whose personal conduct during the COVID-19 pandemic was heavily criticized and who had to pay a police fine for violating lockdown rules, said he would fully cooperate with the investigation.

"While Mr. Johnson understands the government's position and does not want to contradict it, he is perfectly satisfied that the inquiry has access to this material in whatever form it needs," his spokesman said.

The fact that in London even important agreements within the government are carried out via WhatsApp has been an open secret for a long time. Content from more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages from former Health Minister Matt Hancock had only been leaked to the public in March and had brought the ex-minister into need of explanation. A journalist who worked as a ghostwriter for Hancock had forwarded the news to the newspaper »The Daily Telegraph«.

czl/dpa