Why Rishi Sunak fears the Covid inquiry

A former Labour spin doctor recently offered some advice for governments considering a public inquiry. Rule No. 1: Don’t. But if ‘you’re stupid enough’ to do so: don’t make the inquiry independent, don’t give it powers, know the conclusion you want, set the remit accordingly and appoint a chair who knows the brief. Unfortunately for Rishi Sunak, the inquiry he has inherited from Boris Johnson’s time in Downing Street ticks none of these boxes.

Even before its official launch this week, there were signs of trouble. The brief is to provide a factual account of the Covid-19 response across the UK and to identify lessons about preparing for future pandemics. Yet last month the government made the un-usual move of taking its own inquiry to court to try to avoid having to hand over all unredacted messages. The inquiry’s lead lawyer, Hugo Keith KC, used his opening remarks to criticise the Cabinet Office and admonished those witnesses who have so far provided ‘insufficient detail’.

Why is Sunak so reticent? Because Downing Street fears the Covid inquiry is starting to look like a political colander, leaking every-where. It was supposed to keep things quiet for a year or two, to let ministers say: ‘I’ll save my comments for the inquiry.’ Instead, it is becoming a source of news. Allies of the Prime Minister warn of the likely consequences if all messages – including those not directly related to Covid – are given to an army of lawyers. ‘It will be leak central,’ predicts one aide.

So Sunak is fighting a lonely and unpopular battle. Matt Hancock has submitted his messages unredacted – although given that he also submitted them to the journalist Isabel Oakeshott, it’s unlikely there are any disclosures that she has not already revealed.