![]() This is not just an inquiry into whether the country was adequately prepared for dealing with a pandemic. But Lady Hallett rejected the argument that the inquiry’s request was unlawful and said that the Cabinet Office had “misunderstood the breadth of the investigation”. The request was made under section 21 of the Inquiries Act 2005 but was opposed by the Government. ![]() On April 28, Lady Hallett, the inquiry chairman, asked for a number of materials, including unredacted WhatsApp messages belonging to the former prime minister. The public hearings have not even started, yet the World Health Organisation declared the pandemic at an end weeks ago. Only in Britain can such an event turn into the circus it risks becoming. Some have restricted theirs to expert panels able quickly to pinpoint failings and advise on future preparedness. Other countries, such as Sweden, concluded their inquiries months ago. It is astonishing – though given the history of British public inquiries, hardly surprising – that the investigation into decisions surrounding the pandemic has become bogged down in this way. ![]() Today is the deadline for the Cabinet Office to respond to a request from the Covid-19 inquiry chairman to release Government WhatsApp messages and diaries belonging to Boris Johnson or risk legal action to seize them. ![]()
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