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A breakthrough may have been made in attempts to unlock Boris Johnson’s old mobile phone.

An ally of the former prime minister has suggested that a “version” of the device’s PIN has been found by the government.

The phone was used until May 2021, and likely contains WhatsApp messages related to the ordering of coronavirus lockdowns – as well as the Johnson administration’s early response to the pandemic.

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COVID inquiry: Everything you need to know

On Monday, the government missed a deadline to hand over this evidence to the COVID inquiry.

According to The Times, the delay was because Mr Johnson had forgotten the password to the phone.

Mr Johnson’s spokesperson did not deny the claims to Sky News – instead saying that government-appointed “technical experts” were continuing to work “to recover material safely from the device”.

Yesterday, one of his allies said: “It is not true that Boris does not remember his PIN number, it is just that he does not have 100% confidence he remembers it.

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“Separately, the government has found its own version of the PIN.”

He was advised not to access the phone again on security grounds while serving as prime minister after it emerged his number had been freely available online for 15 years.

Whitehall officials were known to be trying to securely retrieve the messages on the phone, which is being held by Mr Johnson’s lawyers.

The Cabinet Office has been contacted for comment about the suggestion technicians have discovered a past code that Mr Johnson used.

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‘I’m profoundly sorry for each COVID death’

According to The Times, there are concerns the contents could be wiped if the wrong combination of numbers is entered.

The newspaper has also reported that the device was last accessed in December 2021 after Lord Geidt – then the prime minister’s adviser on ministerial interests – asked for WhatsApp messages relating to an investigation about the funding of the refurbishment of the Downing Street flat.

If accurate, this would suggest that the phone has been opened since Mr Johnson was told to no longer use it.

Mr Johnson’s spokesman has been approached about the claim.

The Cabinet Office had until 4pm on Monday to hand over the unredacted WhatsApp messages from Mr Johnson’s previous phone after it lost a legal challenge.

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Ministers had fought a request from inquiry chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett to release his uncensored messages, notebooks and diaries from his time in Downing Street, arguing they should not have to hand over material that was “unambiguously irrelevant”.

But the argument was dismissed by the High Court last week.

The government has since handed over the rest of Mr Johnson’s documents, except for the messages from the locked phone.

The inquiry, which heard evidence from Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove yesterday, is understood to be aware of the efforts to securely extract any potentially relevant content from Mr Johnson’s old phone.

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From May: ‘Govt co-operating with inquiry’

A mobile security expert has cast doubt on claims the messages cannot be accessed because of a memory lapse on Mr Johnson’s part.

Andrew Whaley, senior technical director at Norwegian cybersecurity company Promon, said: “This is a pretty lame excuse. Provided Boris’s WhatsApp is backed up, accessing the data would take minutes.

“As this is a diplomatic phone, the security measures may very well be different, but even still, it’s not an impossible task by any means.”

The COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group said it was a “complete joke” and Mr Johnson “needs to take full responsibility” for handing over his WhatsApp messages.

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Former rugby player sentenced for $900K crypto mining Ponzi

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Former rugby player sentenced for 0K crypto mining Ponzi

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Former rugby player Shane Donovan Moore was sentenced to 2.5 years in US federal prison for running a $900,000 crypto mining Ponzi scheme.

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The ‘£7bn’ government secret

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The '£7bn' government secret

👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈

Who knew what about the Afghan data leak? And could anyone in parliament have done more to help scrutinise the government at the time of the superinjunction? Harriet thinks so.

So in this episode, Beth, Ruth, and Harriet talk about the massive breach, the secret court hearings, and the constitutional chaos it’s unleashed.

Plus – the fallout from the latest Labour rebellion. Four MPs have lost the whip – officially for repeated defiance, but unofficially? A government source called it “persistent knobheadery”.

So is Keir Starmer tightening his grip or losing control? And how does this compare to rebellions of Labour past?

Oh and singer Chesney Hawkes gets an unexpected mention.

Responding to claims in the podcast about whether Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle could have scrutinised the government, a Commons spokesperson said: “As has been made clear, Mr Speaker was himself under a superinjunction, and so would have been under severe legal restrictions regarding speaking about this. He would have had no awareness which organisations or individuals were and were not already aware of this matter.

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“The injunction could not constrain proceedings in parliament and between being served with the injunction in September 2023 and the 2024 General Election Mr Speaker granted four UQs on matters relating to Afghan refugees and resettlement schemes.

“Furthermore, as set out in the Justice and Security Act 2013, the Speaker has no powers to refer matters to the Intelligence and Security Committee.”

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GENIUS Act heads to Trump’s desk: Here’s what will change

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GENIUS Act heads to Trump’s desk: Here’s what will change

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The stablecoin-regulating GENIUS Act is headed to Donald Trump’s desk, which is expected to shake up how stablecoins operate in the US and abroad.

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