He is a liar and you are stupid: Boris Johnson Delay in Handing Over WhatsApp Messages to COVID-19 Inquiry. “He forgot his password”.

According to reports in the Times of London, Johnson has forgotten the passcode to his old device, which he stopped using in May 2021, and is unable to access the messages or hand them over to the inquiry.

A spokesperson for Johnson confirmed that he could not remember the passcode "100 percent confidently." The problem with the passcode has caused a delay in the inquiry's request for all of Johnson's pandemic-related WhatsApp messages and diaries, as the government had until 4 p.m. last Monday to hand over the material.

However, much of the material relevant to Johnson is on his old, inaccessible mobile phone, which has been turned off and securely locked away since May 2021.

Johnson's lawyers are currently holding the phone, while the former PM has asked government security experts to assist with accessing its contents.

A spokesperson for Johnson said that the government's appointed technical experts are working to recover the material safely from the device and that Johnson will cooperate fully with the inquiry.

The Cabinet Office is also checking whether it has a record of Johnson's forgotten passcode, which could potentially allow them to access the phone's contents without triggering the device's automatic erasure.

The inquiry has been investigating the UK's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the country's preparedness and handling of the pandemic, and has requested information from a number of individuals and organizations, including Johnson.

In related news, a report from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research has found that the UK economy is likely to have contracted by 4.7 percent during the pandemic, much worse than previously estimated.

The report suggests that the pandemic could have a long-term impact on the economy, with the potential for significant structural changes in industries such as retail and hospitality.