7 explosive WhatsApps back to haunt Boris Johnson as Covid messages published

07 December 2023 , 19:43

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Boris Johnson's chaotic No10 operation went under the microscope during two days of intensive evidence at the Covid Inquiry.

The former Prime Minister was repeatedly confronted by shocking - and often sweary - WhatsApps between aides and ministers, exposing the chaos and dysfunctionality at the heart of his Government. Alarming messages show Mr Johnson was warned Covid would "sweep the world" days before he went on holiday in February 2020 - and that he was convinced it was like swine flu.

The WhatsApps also offer a grim insight into the infighting between aides and ministers, with Dominic Cummings branding a top mandarin a "f***wit" and trying to block Matt Hancock, the-then Health Secretary, from attending meetings.

Mr Johnson sought to rebut criticism about the WhatsApps, saying they shouldn't take on "inflated importance" as they were part of a "wider jigsaw and were often nothing more than offhand commentary". But the tranche of messages shine a light on the inner workings of Downing Street during the crisis.

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WhatsApps shown to the Covid Inquiry expose the chaos in Boris Johnson's No10 during the pandemic (AP)

Here are the crucial WhatsApps revealed by the Covid Inquiry this week.

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Boris Johnson warned virus 'will 'sweep world - days before holiday

An explosive message shows Mr Cummings told Mr Johnson that the virus "will sweep world" on February 6 2020. In a WhatsApp shown the Inquiry, the No10 aide said: "Need briefing on corona tmrw. Chief scientist told me today it's prob out of control now and will sweep world. Will be major comms exercise."

Lord Udney Lister, the No10 chief of staff, replied the next day: "The COBRA meeting was I think clear that China is probably loosing (sic) it and once it reaches us it will not peak for three months. Dom is right the Comms is key and we have to look at all times that we have a plan and thought it through."

Boris Johnson faced jeers from bereaved families and protesters outside the Covid Inquiry (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Mr Johnson said: "Yes please. Need to talk about coronavirus comms at 9." But despite this warning, he went on a 10-day break at his grace and favour country residence shortly after - when he received no briefings.

Mr Cummings has claimed he wanted to work on a long-delayed book about Shakespeare - a claim Mr Johnson has denied. Mr Johnson insisted it “wasn’t a long holiday that I took” and said he returned to Downing Street three times, including for telephone calls with President Xi of China and US President Donald Trump.

Messages between Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson and Lord Lister discuss the threat of Covid

Ex-PM though Covid was 'like swine flu'

Messages from Mr Cummings suggest that the Prime Minister was still downplaying the severity of the virus in early March 2020.

On March 3, the No10 aide wrote: "He doesn’t think it’s a big deal and he doesn’t think anything can be done and his focus is elsewhere, he think it’ll be like swine flu and he thinks his main danger is talking economy into a slump."

Mr Johnson admitted in his evidence that the experience of previous viruses like Sars, Mers and swine flu meant the Government underestimates the threat. He told the Inquiry that “collectively in Whitehall there was not a sufficiently loud enough klaxon of alarm”.

Messages between Dominic Cummings and No10 spin chief Lee Cain

Boris Johnson told to stop saying 'business as usual'

Boris Johnson was shown message from his former aide saying he needed to stop telling the public it was "business as usual" in March 2020.

As fears mounted over the spread of the virus, Dominic Cummings made the comment during a discussion with scientists - warning that it was unhelpful in preparing people for restrictions that were likely to be needed.

On March 5, he said: "I think the PM sh STOP saying “business as usual”. Preparing for a pandemic is not “business as usual” – we are plannign (sic) to tell people to do things theyve never done before… thoughts?"

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James Slack, who was the PM's official spokesman, replied: "Completely agree. We aren't telling him to say it. He'll need to be forcibly stopped."

WhatsApp messages between Dominic Cummings and the PM's spokesman James Slack

Dominic Cummings tried to block Matt Hancock from attending meetings

Dominic Cummings and Boris Johnson discussed blocking Matt Hancock from attending key meetings in No10, the Covid Inquiry heard.

A message from Mr Cummings on May 12 2020 urged Mr Johnson to "just ignore" requests from the-then Health Secretary to come to meetings "so we can get people to tell the truth about the situation".

He said Department of Health officials won't give them the full picture on the "PPE horror" with Mr Hancock present. Mr Johnson replied: "All too recognisable. We need to rebuild the govt from top to bottom."

Dominic Cummings wanted to shut Matt Hancock out of meetings

Boris Johnson boasted he'd 'come out on top' after Partygate

Boris Johnson bragged on WhatsApp that he would "get through" Partygate and "come out on top" after the Mirror exposed the scandal of lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street in 2021.

The former PM exchanged messages with Cabinet Secretary Simon Case after the top civil servant was forced to step down from his role investigating Partygate after it emerged there had been a bash in his own office.

On December 17, 2021 Mr Johnson wrote: "Cab sec I am really sorry this thing is now causing you any kind of grief at all. The whole business is insane. We will get through it and come out on top."

WhatsApps between Boris Johnson and Simon Case discussing Partygate

WhatsApps show Dominic Cummings ranted Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill was a 'f***wit'

Dominic Cummings ranted that the-then Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill was a "f***wit" who should be replaced.

The WhatsApp messages, from August 2020, shows Mr Cummings disparaging the top civil servant's work and saying he should be replaced by Susan Acland-Hood, another top mandarin. She is now permanent secretary of the Department for Education.

"Tell him Susan is PermSec and he can shut his trap", he said.

Mr Sedwill was replaced as Cabinet Secretary in September 2020 by Simon Case, who has come under intense scrutiny himself. He was due to give evidence to the probe but has been excused on medical grounds until next year.