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Boris Johnson is facing the Covid-19 inquiry today, beginning two days of grilling over his handling of the pandemic.
The former prime minister arrived three hours early – missing members of Covid-bereaved groups who have since gathered outside to protest.
Ahead of Mr Johnson’s appearance it emerged experts have been unable to retrieve his WhatsApp messages from nearly all of the first lockdown.
He initially claimed to be unable to hand over WhatsApp messages from his old mobile phone because he had forgotten the password. Mr Johnson began using a new phone in May 2021 after it emerged that his old mobile number had been online for 15 years.
Earlier this year experts helped him access the old device but he later told the inquiry that they were still unable to retrieve his messages from 31 January to 7 June – a critical period from the run-up to the first lockdown to the easing of restrictions.
When is Boris Johnson giving evidence?
The former prime minister is giving evidence on both Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 December.
Each session will begin at 10am GMT and end at 4.30pm.
How can I watch the Covid inquiry live?
The Covid inquiry has a dedicated YouTube channel on which you can watch each day of proceedings live.
The channel also uploads previous days’ hearings, if you want to watch them back.
What has Boris Johnson said so far?
Mr Johnson took the stand and immediately said: “Can I just say how glad I am to be an this inquiry, and how sorry I am for the pain and the loss and the suffering…”
At this point he was interrupted by inquiry chair Baroness Hallett, asking someone out of shot to “please sit down or you’ll have to leave the hearing room”.
The former prime minister was then pressed on the way in which he has shared information such as emails and phone messages with the Covid inquiry.
He said: “I have done my best to give anything of any conceivable relevance.”
Mr Johnson was asked what mistakes he believes were made during the pandemic.
He said: “We relied so much on messaging to help contain the virus, and we needed the public to understand the message in as straightforward a way as possible.
“One problem we had […] was that because of the natural and proper right of the devolved administrations to have their own approach, sometimes the BBC News would have one message from No 10 and a slightly different one from Scotland or whatever.
“I think we need to sort that out in future.”