Boris Johnson Denies Deleting WhatsApp Covid Inquiry Evidence

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson denied deleting WhatsApp messages from his phone after lawyer Hugo Keith KC pressed him on why approximately 5,000 of his messages from a crucial period of the COVID-19 pandemic have gone missing.

The messages, spanning from January to June 2020, were lost following an incident where Johnson had to replace his phone after his number was inadvertently published online.

Johnson said: “For the avoidance of doubt… I have not removed any WhatsApps from my phone. I’ve given you everything that you need.”

The inquiry raised questions about whether Johnson was responsible for a factory reset on his phone, to which he responded with surprise: “A factory reset?” He admitted his lack of technical expertise, remarking, “I can’t give you the technical information. But that’s the best I’m able to do.”

Johnson, who is scheduled to provide two days of evidence to the inquiry, had previously mentioned difficulties in accessing WhatsApp messages from an old phone used at the pandemic’s onset, citing an inability to recall the passcode. He has consistently denied deleting any messages.

After obtaining technical assistance, Johnson was able to access the phone. However, reports from the Guardian in October revealed that no WhatsApp messages from the period of 31 January 2020 to 7 June 2020 were retrievable. This timeframe includes the initial spread of COVID-19 and the lead-up to and aftermath of the UK’s first lockdown.

Further complicating matters, The Times recently reported that technical teams have still been unable to access these missing messages. According to the paper, Johnson informed the inquiry ahead of cross-examination: “The technical team has been unable to determine the cause of this.”

The development raised significant questions about the transparency and record-keeping of government communications during one of the most critical periods in recent history.