WhatsApp messages exchanged within Boris Johnson’s inner circle accused the former Prime Minister of creating chaos during the Covid crisis. They said he “cannot lead” and consistently altered the strategic approach, making the government’s response exceedingly difficult.
These messages, which have come to light during the Covid inquiry, reveal a strong disdain held by cabinet secretary Simon Case, chief scientific officer Sir Patrick Vallance, and top adviser Dominic Cummings towards Mr. Johnson.
WhatsApp messages set to “disappear”
One significant revelation was that Martin Reynolds, a key aide to Mr. Johnson, set messages to “disappear” in a crucial Covid-related WhatsApp group, just weeks after the former PM had promised an inquiry into the matter.
This action was brought up during the inquiry, with Mr. Reynolds admitting he couldn’t recall the exact reasons for doing so. However, he mentioned concerns about colleagues potentially leaking these messages to the media.
It also came to light that both Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Case had discussed the likelihood of the Covid inquiry demanding access to these WhatsApp messages. In one message from December 2021, Mr. Case remarked that the Prime Minister would be mistaken if he believed his WhatsApp conversations wouldn’t become public through the Covid inquiry.
Boris Johnson “cannot lead”
Diary entries made by Sir Patrick Vallance also said Mr. Johnson “cannot lead”. Further testimony from individuals who had worked closely with Mr. Johnson highlighted dysfunction within his leadership, with Mr Reynolds revealing a “significant degree of misogyny” at the heart of No 10 during the Covid crisis.
In a significant critique of Rishi Sunak, chief medical officer Chris Whitty referred to the “Eat out to help out” scheme as “Eat out to help out the virus.” Meanwhile, Mr Johnson is thought to have asked why the economy was ruined “for people who will die anyway soon”.
Monday’s inquiry
On a day marked by shocking revelations, Mr. Reynolds faced intense questioning about his decision to set WhatsApp messages in the Prime Minister’s advisory group chat to auto-delete in April 2021, only few weeks after Mr. Johnson announced an inquiry in the House of Commons.
When asked about this decision, he told the inquiry he “cannot recall exactly why I did so,” before suggesting that there may have been concerns about colleagues screenshotting the WhatsApp messages and potentially “leaking” them to the media.
However, it was later discovered that both Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Case had previously discussed the possibility that WhatsApp messages might be requested by the Covid inquiry. In a message from December 2021, Mr. Case told his colleague: “PM is mad if he doesn’t think his WhatsApps will become public via Covid inquiry.”
Boris Johnson “changes strategic direction every day”
During Monday’s inquiry, a message that Mr. Case sent to Mr. Cummings in September 2020, said Mr Johnson “cannot lead” – saying he “changes strategic direction every day”. He added: “[Government] isn’t actually that hard but this guy is really making it impossible.”
Back then, Mr. Johnson was inclined toward a “let it rip” strategy in dealing with the deadly virus. In response, the cabinet secretary said: “I am at the end of my tether. The team captain cannot change the call on the big plays every day … IT HAS TO STOP!”
Excerpts from diary entries by Sir Patrick, the Chief Scientific Officer, said that Mr. Johnson was “all over the place” and “so completely inconsistent” on Covid policy.
Mr. Vallace later recorded in September: “We have a weak and indecisive prime minister.”
Dominic Cummings is set to provide evidence about Boris Johnson’s leadership and will face questions at the Covid Inquiry today over the government’s handling of the pandemic.
Final thought
The scathing WhatsApp messages that have come to light reveal a shocking level of discontent within his inner circle. These messages show that the Prime Minister’s frequent changes in direction and “flip-flopping” on critical issues made it nearly impossible to effectively combat Covid.
The fact that a key aide set messages to “disappear” in a crucial Covid-related WhatsApp group, just weeks after Johnson had promised an inquiry, is concerning. This revelation should raise serious questions about leadership and the need for greater transparency and accountability in government.
