The mystery of the Covid Inquiry’s missing WhatsApps

It will no doubt be referred to in Whitehall circles in future as the ‘Jason Leitch protocol’. Scotland’s clinical director appears to have escaped scrutiny by the UK Covid Inquiry. It was revealed last night that his WhatsApp messages sent during the pandemic were deleted at the end of each day. The Scottish government have this afternoon denied this, saying that it was not correct to say that Professor Leitch deletes his Whatsapp messages and that guidance had been followed. But this does not change the fact that by the time the ‘do not destroy’ notice was issued by the Inquiry, Leitch’s messages were already gone. 

First Minister Humza Yousaf has also failed to furnish the UK Covid Inquiry with any WhatsApp messages, much to the disappointment of Jamie Dawson KC, the lead counsel to the inquiry. This is despite it being revealed that several cabinet ministers used the platform to discuss government business during the pandemic.