London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Attempt to force release of Johnson’s messages on Covid in care homes fails

Attempt to force release of Johnson’s messages on Covid in care homes fails

High court rules that government does not have to disclose potentially explosive WhatsApp texts
The government has successfully resisted disclosure of potentially explosive WhatsApp messages between ministers and Boris Johnson about decisions to send hospital patients into care homes without first testing them for Covid.

Two bereaved women whose fathers died from Covid in care homes that received infected NHS patients in April and May 2020 asked the high court to force disclosure of the texts, as well as emails sent from a private account by the then health secretary, Matt Hancock.

But Mrs Justice Eady ruled the government did not need to provide them in evidence for a judicial review of the legality of the government’s care home policy.

Discharging hospital patients into care homes without testing caused “thousands, if not tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths”, the bereaved argued.

Dr Cathy Gardner, one of the women who claim the care homes policy breached human rights laws and discriminated against the elderly and disabled, described the decision to block the release of potentially “highly significant” informal communications as “very disappointing”. They are considering an appeal.

Dominic Cummings, the PM’s former aide, has already published excerpts from WhatsApp messages with the PM about Hancock, including one where Johnson described Hancock’s testing strategy as “totally fucking hopeless”.

Lawyers for Gardner and her fellow claimant, Faye Harris, claimed crucial advice “was given via informal channels, text messages, WhatsApps, personal emails”. Without its disclosure the truth about what the government knew about the risks of discharging would remain hidden, they said.

Government lawyers argued that demands for extensive disclosure amounted to an attempt to conduct a public inquiry through the courts.

Sir James Eadie QC described the informal messages as “chit chat” and said they were “unlikely [to] contain materials of relevance”.

The court also ruled that the government did not need to release records of a meeting between the prime minister and Hancock at which, Cummings told MPs in May, the health secretary promised patients would be tested before being discharged into homes. Hancock subsequently denied that, saying he pledged instead to increase testing capacity.

The bereaved also wanted to see advice from England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, and the chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, to ministers about protecting care homes, plus evidence of what was known about the risk of asymptomatic transmission and the limits on testing capacity.

The ruling comes amid rising pressure on the UK government to announce the terms of reference for the public inquiry, after the Scottish government said on Tuesday its would be established by the end of the year.

The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, which represents more than 4,000 bereaved families, is separately seeking Hancock’s private emails under the Freedom of Information Act and a response to its request is weeks overdue. On Thursday the group marked a year of waiting since Johnson said he would meet the families.

A government spokesperson said: “As the prime minister said, we have committed to holding a full public inquiry which will start in the spring. Terms of reference will be set out in good time for the inquiry to begin, and we will consult with bereaved families and others before they are finalised.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
×