I'm not worried about Covid inquiry messages, says Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak says helium is not disquieted astir being embarrassed by messages seen by the Covid inquiry, contempt a ineligible wrangle implicit their disclosure.

The authorities has taken the unprecedented measurement of suing the enquiry implicit its demands to spot unredacted WhatsApps sent during pandemic.

But the premier curate insisted helium was being transparent successful his approach.

He added that helium was personally providing information, and it was taking up "a batch of my ain time".

The enquiry has asked to spot unredacted messages connected erstwhile premier curate Boris Johnson's phone, betwixt him and astir 40 politicians and officials, including Mr Sunak.

But the authorities says immoderate of them are not applicable to the inquiry's work, and could compromise individuals' privateness if handed implicit unredacted.

Last week, it launched ineligible action against the enquiry implicit its demands to spot the unredacted WhatsApps, arsenic good arsenic Mr Johnson's notebooks.

Speaking to BBC governmental exertion Chris Mason during a two-day travel to the United States, Mr Sunak said helium couldn't remark connected the specifics arsenic the lawsuit was ongoing.

But helium insisted the authorities has acted with "candour and transparency", including disclosing much than 55,000 documents truthful far, with "more to come".

Asked straight whether helium was disquieted astir thing coming retired that would embarrass him personally, helium replied: "No, not astatine all.

"I arsenic good americium co-operating and providing accusation to the inquiry," helium added. "It's really taking a batch of my ain time, and that's close that I bash that."

The inquiry, acceptable up successful May 2021, is investigating the government's handling of the pandemic and is owed to statesman nationalist hearings adjacent week.

Mr Johnson has said helium is blessed to manus implicit unredacted WhatsApps connected his telephone dating backmost to May 2021, astir a twelvemonth into the pandemic response.

He says helium has been incapable to manus implicit messages anterior to that point, due to the fact that the messages were connected his aged phone, which helium changed for information reasons.

However, helium has said helium is blessed to co-operate with information officials to find a mode to guarantee the messages were handed over.

On Tuesday, a lawyer for the Covid enquiry said it had written to the Cabinet Office to get clasp of the aged instrumentality and corroborate however it volition beryllium "accessed fully".