Boris Johnson says he has handed over Covid WhatsApps

Boris Johnson claims helium has fixed his WhatsApp messages and notebooks successful afloat to the authorities to springiness to the Covid inquiry.

The enquiry has demanded that the Cabinet Office manus implicit the unredacted worldly by 4pm connected Thursday.

A spokesperson for the erstwhile PM said helium urged the Cabinet Office to "urgently disclose it to the inquiry".

But the Cabinet Office has argued immoderate of the worldly is not applicable to the inquiry's work.

Mr Johnson's spokesperson said the Cabinet Office had had "access to this worldly for respective months" and helium would disclose it straight to the enquiry if asked.

"While Mr Johnson understands the government's position, and does not question to contradict it, helium is perfectly blessed for the enquiry to person entree to this worldly successful immoderate signifier it requires," helium added.

Mr Johnson is among those who volition springiness grounds to the inquiry, which is owed to commencement hearings successful 2 weeks.

The worldly includes 24 notebooks with contemporaneous notes, arsenic good arsenic his diaries and WhatsApp messages betwixt Mr Johnson and furniture ministers, advisors and elder civilian servants.

On Tuesday, the enquiry revealed it had been told the Cabinet Office did not presently person the WhatsApp messages oregon notebooks successful its possession.

If the section inactive does not person the worldly by Thursday, the enquiry said it indispensable alternatively supply its correspondence with Mr Johnson implicit the issue.

The Cabinet Office has been speaking to Mr Johnson astir the issue, including connected Wednesday.

The BBC has asked the section whether it present has the applicable accusation it antecedently said was not successful its possession.

The authorities has argued the enquiry does not person the powerfulness to petition "unambiguously applicable information", specified arsenic idiosyncratic messages.

However, the inquiry's chairwoman, crossbench adjacent Baroness Hallett, said it was her role, not that of the government, to determine what was relevant.

It could pb to a ineligible conflict betwixt the authorities and inquiry, with the courts deciding what worldly is made available.

The BBC has been told the Cabinet Office ineligible squad visited Mr Johnson's bureau to inspect the notebooks.

Mr Johnson has since stopped cooperating with his government-appointed lawyers and is appointing his own.

Opposition parties and run groups representing bereaved families person called for the worldly to beryllium released to the enquiry successful full.