Boris Johnson warned Covid inquiry legal funding could be withdrawn

Boris Johnson has been warned nationalist backing for his ineligible practice to the Covid enquiry could beryllium withdrawn if helium tries to "undermine" the government.

Extracts of a Cabinet Office missive published successful the Sunday Times tells the erstwhile PM to taxable witnesser statements to officials for imaginable redactions.

It comes arsenic the Cabinet Office fights the inquiry's request to spot unredacted messages from Mr Johnson and officials.

Mr Johnson has said helium would springiness the worldly to the enquiry directly.

The Cabinet Office confirmed the missive to Mr Johnson had been sent past week. But it is understood it was not issued successful effect to immoderate different lawsuit and a authorities root said it had not been seen by ministers.

In the letter, the Cabinet Office said: "The backing connection volition cease to beryllium disposable to you if you knowingly question to frustrate oregon undermine, either done your ain actions oregon the actions of others, the government's presumption successful narration to the enquiry unless determination is simply a wide and irreconcilable struggle of involvement connected a peculiar constituent astatine issue."

It said backing would lone beryllium disposable if Mr Johnson complied with definite conditions.

These included having to nonstop immoderate witnesser connection oregon grounds which helium intended to supply to the enquiry to the Cabinet Office to beryllium information checked, and not submitting grounds until helium had "applied immoderate redactions" which the Cabinet Office had informed him were "needed earlier submission".

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said the missive successful "no way" prevented Mr Johnson from providing the enquiry with "whatever grounds helium wants to".

The spokesperson said it was a missive from officials which was "intended to support nationalist funds" and "simply reiterates that taxpayer-funded lawyers indispensable beryllium utilized to assistance the Covid enquiry and for nary different purpose".

The Cabinet Office said it made wide Mr Johnson had "a work to supply sincere witnesser to the enquiry independently and without notation to the views of the existent government".

The ineligible situation to the inquiry's request for Mr Johnson's WhatsApp messages and documents from during the pandemic was launched this week.

The Cabinet Office refused to disclose immoderate of the worldly by arguing it was not applicable to the inquiry, it would compromise ministers' close to privacy, and would acceptable a precedent that could forestall ministers discussing argumentation matters successful future.