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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Jon Ungoed-Thomas

Pressure grows for Covid inquiry to be fast-tracked after Hancock WhatsApp leak

The National Covid Memorial Wall with the Houses of Parliament in the background across the river Thames
The National Covid Memorial Wall with the Houses of Parliament in the background. Contracts awarded in connection with the inquiry suggest it may run for years. Photograph: Anna Watson/Alamy

Ministers face calls to “fast-track” the public inquiry into the pandemic as official documents show civil servants are preparing for it to run for five years or longer.

The Labour party has warned that a “painfully slow” Covid inquiry increases the risk of ministers not being properly held to account for their decisions. Labour leader Keir Starmer last week called for it to report by the end of the year.

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