Rishi Sunak backs Simon Case over Hancock WhatsApp row

Rishi Sunak has backed the UK's apical civilian servant Simon Case implicit comments helium made astir the government's Covid policies successful WhatsApp messages.

In exchanges with Matt Hancock, published by The Telegraph, Mr Case calls past PM Boris Johnson a "distrusted" figure.

He besides mocks radical forced to enactment successful quarantine hotels and appears to criticise different minsters.

Mr Sunak rejected calls to sack Mr Case implicit the comments.

He said the furniture caput had "done a large job" and "works hard to enactment the governments agenda".

Asked if Mr Case would inactive beryllium successful his occupation astatine the clip of the adjacent wide election, Mr Sunak said helium looked guardant to moving with him for a "long clip to come".

Separately, a furniture bureau insider told the BBC Mr Case was uncomfortable with being successful the spotlight, particularly arsenic helium is incapable to respond to the disapproval successful nationalist due to the fact that of civilian work rules.

Another root said Mr Case's departure from his occupation was "extremely unlikely".

As a elder civilian servant, Mr Case is required to springiness impartial argumentation proposal to authorities ministers.

But helium has faced disapproval implicit the code of the exchanges with Mr Hancock.

Conservative MP Marcus Fysh told BBC News the messages "just marque it untenable for him [Mr Case] to beryllium credible arsenic a person of the civilian service".

The Yeovil MP, a erstwhile subordinate of the Commons nationalist medication committee, said Mr Case should beryllium replaced by idiosyncratic who tin connection a "balanced" view.

"He needs to autumn connected his sword and the authorities needs to promote that," said the MP, who was highly captious of Covid lockdown extensions during the pandemic.

One WhatsApp speech with Mr Hancock, from June 2020, appears to suggest absorption to tougher Covid rules was "pure Conservative ideology".

In a abstracted exchange, Mr Case reportedly said past chancellor Rishi Sunak had been "going bonkers" implicit a enactment astir interaction tracing.

In different speech with Mr Hancock, from October 2020, Mr Case said the authorities was "losing the war" connected getting radical to isolate aft investigating due to the fact that messages were coming from Mr Johnson who was "nationally distrusted".

He added that keeping Mr Johnson focussed connected "numbers" of caller Covid cases would "keep him honest".

The messages besides included exchanges betwixt Mr Hancock and Mr Case, from February 2021, successful which the furniture caput said it was "hilarious" that planetary travellers had to isolate connected their instrumentality to the UK.

"I conscionable privation to spot immoderate of the faces of radical coming retired of archetypal people and into a Premier Inn footwear box," helium told Mr Hancock.

A postulation of much than 100,000 messages sent betwixt erstwhile Health Secretary Matt Hancock and different ministers and officials astatine the tallness of the Covid-19 pandemic person been obtained by the Telegraph. Here are immoderate of our stories connected the leaks:

A erstwhile elder civilian servant, speaking connected information of anonymity, said the exchanges published by the Telegraph did not needfully archer the full story.

But discussing authorities concern connected WhatsApp successful this mode suggested "a deficiency of professionalism", not slightest due to the fact that the messages tin beryllium made public.

"It does look to show a laxity successful the decision-making process. with decisions being made for, frankly, emotional, personal, oregon 'small p' governmental reasons", helium said of Mr Case's exchanges with Mr Hancock.

Some of this whitethorn beryllium down to Mr Case's "inexperience" arsenic a elder civilian servant, helium suggested, and his evident tendency to enactment arsenic "courtier" to ministers, alternatively than an impartial adviser.

"As a furniture secretary, you don't request to curry favour, to beryllium seen to beryllium 'on side' with ministers, successful this lawsuit Matt Hancock," said the erstwhile civilian servant.

It was, helium suggested, "illustrative, perhaps, of a deficiency of grip connected the job" and helium would not beryllium amazed if Mr Case was considering quitting.

"There is contented successful choosing the clip of your ain departure and possibly that is thing helium volition beryllium reasoning about."

The messages are portion of trove of much than 100,000 WhatsApp messages leaked to the Telegraph by writer Isabel Oakeshott.

The BBC has not been capable to independently verify the messages, which were supplied to Ms Oakeshott successful assurance by past wellness caput Matt Hancock.

Mr Hancock has said they connection an "entirely partial account" of the government's handling of the pandemic.