The inquiry into the UK’s Covid-19 response is continuing, following an explosive day of proceedings at which messages were shown that warned Boris Johnson “could not lead”.
WhatsApp texts sent by Simon Case, the UK’s top civil servant, in September 2020 said the then-Conservative prime minister “changes strategic direction every day”.
Mr Johnson’s handling of the crisis was studied at the hearing on Monday and further revelations are set to come out as the inquiry continues.
The former PM’s advisers are taking part in the hearing and Lee Cain and Dominic Cummings are giving evidence on Tuesday.
The latter will probably be asked questions about his infamous drive to Bernard Castle to “test his eyesight” while he had the virus.
When is the Covid-19 inquiry happening and why?
The purpose of the inquiry is to “examine the UK’s preparedness and response” to the Covid-19 pandemic and to “learn the lessons for the future”.
It will cover the period from the beginning of the outbreak to the inquiry being established in June 2022 and will take in all of the UK although there is a separate inquiry for Scotland.
Hearings have been held since June but have started this week in earnest with key political decisions being examined.
When will Lee Cain and Dominic Cummings be giving evidence?
On Tuesday, proceedings will begin at 10am.
Mr Cain, the former Number 10 director of communications, will be the first to give evidence.
After that finishes, at an unspecified time, Mr Cummings will then answer questions.
Mr Cummings was Mr Johnson's top political aide in Downing Street from July 2019, having previously led Vote Leave in the Brexit referendum and worked on the Conservatives' 2019 election campaign.
He was asked to leave government by then-prime minister Mr Johnson in November 2020, months after it emerged he had taken a lockdown-breaking trip to County Durham with his family.
How can I watch the Covid-19 inquiry?
All key developments are being covered by Miriam Burrell and Rachel Burford in the Standard’s live blog here.
All the videos can be found on YouTube by visiting: www.youtube.com/@UKCovid-19Inquiry
What happened at the Covid-19 inquiry on Monday?
Martin Reynolds, the civil servant dubbed "Party Marty" due to his role in the partygate scandal, apologised and said that Government protocols were "inadequate" and "grossly deficient" in the early days of the pandemic.
He said there was an "unusual dynamic" in No 10 during that period, and he turned on the "disappearing message function" on a WhatsApp group titled "PM Updates" in April 2021 because of concerns about potential leaks.
Mr Johnson meanwhile came in for criticism from the UK's top civil servant, Simon Case, who vented that he "cannot lead" and was making government "impossible" in WhatsApp messages given to the inquiry.
Appearing on Tuesday's morning media round, roads minister Richard Holden said "tittle tattle" is "not the important issue".
"If there (were) conversations between people and they were recorded throughout history as they are on WhatsApp then would it be similarly embarrassing? You know, would [Winston] Churchill and [Neville] Chamberlain have faced a similar... what their colleagues said about them on X or Y day? I'm absolutely positive they would have done. I think that's tittle tattle. I don't think that's the important issue here," he told Times Radio.
