Boris vs Rishi, round VII

The decision by the Cabinet Office to refer Boris Johnson to the police after his ministerial diary revealed visits by friends to Chequers in Buckinghamshire during the pandemic is being felt in Westminster today. Allies of the former prime minister say Johnson is considering taking legal action against the government (taxpayer-funded lawyers for Johnson – hired by the Cabinet Office – flagged the material to officials). Some of Johnson’s more vocal supporters have pointed the finger of blame at Rishi Sunak, accusing the Prime Minister of allowing a ‘witch-hunt’ against Johnson.

In a bid to quell such talk, a Cabinet Office spokesperson has released a statement this lunchtime stating that ‘ministers played no role in deciding whether the information should be handed over to the police’. Meanwhile, the official public inquiry into the government’s handling of Covid is threatening the Cabinet Office with legal action for refusing to share Johnson’s WhatsApp messages and diaries from during the pandemic without heavy redactions.