Johnson and Cummings sent ‘disgusting and misogynistic’ WhatsApps during COVID pandemic, ex-chancellor claims
Boris Johnson and his former adviser Dominic Cummings sent “disgusting and misogynistic” WhatsApp messages that will be released by the COVID inquiry next week, George Osborne has claimed.
The former Tory chancellor said he understands that some “pretty astonishing and frankly, shocking” messages will be made public when Mr Cummings gives evidence at the hearings at the end of the month.
Speaking on the Political Currency podcast, Mr Osborne said the messages “will show people just what a complete nightmare it was” to work in Downing Street during the pandemic and “potentially some things that are going to cause some real problems for individuals who were in charge at the time”.
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Pressed for details by his co-host Ed Balls, he said he had to “be careful here because it’s a judicial inquiry”.
But he added: “From what I understand, there are some pretty staggering things that have been said on those WhatsApp messages by not just by Boris Johnson, but key advisers like Dominic Cummings, really, pretty disgusting language and misogynistic language.
“But I think that’s all I can say because I’ve already appeared once before the COVID inquiry and I don’t want to appear again before it.”
Mr Johnson and Mr Cummings have not commented on the claims.
A string of embarrassing messages have already been released to the inquiry, including how Mr Johnson described long COVID as “b*******” and that his wife, Carrie, had been described as “the real person in charge” by the head of the UK’s civil service.
Mr Cummings has said he is due to give evidence on October 31.
He was Mr Johnson’s closest aide when the pandemic hit, and the government was forced to defend him after he drove to County Durham beauty spot Barnard Castle during the first lockdown.
He left Downing Street in November 2020 following infighting in No 10 and has since become a fierce critic of the former prime minister, suggesting he was indecisive in the response to coronavirus.
The COVID inquiry began this summer and has so far heard evidence from Mr Osborne and ex-prime minister David Cameron – who were grilled on the impact of their austerity programme on the NHS and its ability to plan for a pandemic.
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George Osborne tells the COVID inquiry that there was no planning for a lockdown and that ‘with hindsight’ more could have been done to budget for one.
The first part of the inquiry looked at the UK’s resilience and preparedness for a pandemic while the second part, which started this month, focuses on “core decision making and political governance” and will also see Mr Johnson give evidence.
As part of the inquiry, key decision makers – including ministers, former ministers and senior civil servants – have been asked to disclose communications, including those through informal channels such as WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams or Signal.
Separately, it emerged this week that the “majority” of WhatsApp messages shared among Scottish Government officials during the pandemic may have been deleted.
Jamie Dawson KC – the lead counsel in the Scotland module of the inquiry – told the hearing on Thursday that “although WhatsApps appear to have been used to send messages relating to and surrounding key decisions by some members of Scottish Government, the majority of the messages have not been retained by witnesses”.
Mr Dawson went on to say there is a “lack of certainty” around what materials are held by the government and its officials, where it is held, and what can be recovered, and the inquiry has sought more information about the circumstances in which the messages were not retained.
The UK government was taken to court after it refused to hand over Mr Johnson’s messages to the inquiry, stating the messages were irrelevant.
However, the high court ruled against the cabinet office, stating it was up to Baroness Hallett, the chair of the inquiry, to decide whether the material was relevant or not.
Lady Hallett has said she is “very concerned about the difficulties” in obtaining the messages from the Scottish government, and she “will not hesitate” to use “statutory powers” at her disposal to obtain the relevant information.
The King led the nation’s Remembrance Sunday commemorations as he laid a wreath at the Cenotaph during a two-minute silence.
Charles, who is still receiving cancer treatment, paid his respects without the Queen, who did not attend events in central London due to a chest infection.
He appeared alongside his son Prince William and daughter-in-law, Kate, Princess of Wales, who carried out two consecutive public engagements for the first time this year after her cancer treatment ended.
Sunday was the King’s third Remembrance service as monarch.
King Charles at the Cenotaph on Sunday. Pic: PA
The King waits to lay his wreath. Pic: PA
Catherine, Princess of Wales on the balcony. Pic: PA
The Prince of Wales during the Remembrance Sunday service. Pic: PA
The Princess of Wales (left) and the Duchess of Edinburgh watch from the balcony. Pic: PA
Members of the Royal Family stand before the Cenotaph. Pic: PA
The Royal British Legion’s veteran parade along Whitehall featured 10,000 veterans from 326 different armed forces and civil organisations.
Similar memorial events took place in Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast, as well as smaller towns and cities.
Politicians from the four nations laid wreaths in capital cities, while veterans and their families also gathered for events in Portsmouth, the home of this year’s D-Day anniversary commemorations, and the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
Veterans in Portsmouth on Sunday. Pic: PA
People gather at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire. Pic: PA
Thousand of people, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and eight of his predecessors, watched as the nation fell silent at 11am.
Among the former leaders were Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, Lord David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Sir Tony Blair, and Sir John Major.
Kemi Badenoch, the new Conservative Party leader, also laid a wreath alongside the prime minister.
Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch lay wreaths on Sunday. Pic: PA
Lord David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Sir Tony Blair, and Sir John Major. Pic: PA
On Saturday evening, the Prince and Princess of Wales attended the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, along with the King.
Hours beforehand, Buckingham Palace announced Queen Camilla would not be attending either of the Remembrance events. It is understood there is no cause for concern but that doctors did not want to hinder her recovery or put anyone else at risk.
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Princess of Wales at Remembrance Sunday
Members of the RAF Pipes and Drums band in Edinburgh. Pic: PA
First Minister Michelle ONeill lays a wreath at Belfast City Hall. Pic: PA
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings of the Second World War and the 25th anniversary of the end of the war in Kosovo.
It also marks the 75th anniversary of NATO and the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale between the UK and France.
The UK is ready to fight a war, the head of the armed forces has insisted, after the defence secretary recently suggested the military is not prepared for a conflict.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin also stressed the importance of continuing to back Ukraine when asked about the potential impact of the re-election of Donald Trump on Russia’s war.
He said more than 1,500 Russian troops had been killed or injured in the warzone every day during October. That equates to more than 46,000 people – equivalent to more than half of the British Army.
The Chief of the Defence Staff used the Russian casualty figure to underline the cost to Vladimir Putin of his invasion, but analysts say the Kremlin has proven itself more than capable of absorbing high attrition rates without changing its war aims.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin 2023. Pic: Andrew Milligan/Pool via AP
Admiral Radakin was speaking in an interview on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips to mark Remembrance Sunday.
Asked if the UK could fight a war at scale, he said: “Absolutely. So our servicemen and women will always be ready to serve their nation and to do as the government of the day directs us to do.”
Last month, however, John Healey, the new Labour defence secretary, told a Politico podcast that the armed forces were not ready to fight after being hollowed out and under-funded during 14 years of Conservative rule.
In reality, the hollowing out and under-funding also took place under the previous Labour government.
John Healey joined serving military personnel to hand out poppies at Victoria Station in October. Pic: PA
Pressed by Trevor Phillips on whether the army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force had the capabilities to fight a war, Admiral Radakin said: “We do have the capabilities. And then the reassurance is that we do that alongside our allies.
“And for those biggest fights, then we will always do them with our allies.”
He conceded, though, that the UK needs to be “even stronger in the future”.
Admiral Radakin added: “Some of that is about having deeper stockpiles. Some of that is being better at bringing technology and learning the lessons from Ukraine… And some of that is also recognising that you need to have a defence industry that can better support those demands.
“We’re in a more dangerous world.”
Ukrainian troops continue to fight Russia’s invasion. Pic: King Danylo Separate Mechanized Brigade/Reuters
Russian airstrikes are still targeting Ukrainian cities. Pic: Reuters
The top commander repeatedly stressed the importance of being part of NATO to be able to counter the biggest threats faced by the UK.
But the re-election of Donald Trump to the White House has raised new concerns about US support for the transatlantic alliance. The United States is by far its most powerful member.
Pic: AP
The president-elect threatened to quit NATO when he was US commander-in-chief the first time around, and he has repeatedly berated member states that do not meet a minimum spending commitment of 2% of national income.
Mr Trump is also expected to take a different approach to the war in Ukraine to Joe Biden, saying he will end the fighting – but without yet explaining how.
Ukrainian servicemen prepare to fire at Russian positions from a US-supplied M777 howitzer in Kharkiv region. File pic: AP
The aftermath of a Russian strike on Ukraine. Pic: AP
Trevor Phillips asked Admiral Radakin how confident he was that the United States would continue to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine.
The defence chief declined to speculate on potential US policy so soon after the election.
Instead, he said: “What you’re seeing is a Russia that is making tactical gains and is seizing more territory, but is doing that at enormous cost, enormous cost in terms of its soldiers – over 1,500 people a day are either killed or wounded in October.”
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Admiral Radakin also pointed out how the war prompted NATO to grow, with Finland and Sweden joining.
“At the strategic level, Russia is losing,” he said.
“Russia wanted to subjugate Ukraine. It’s never going to subjugate Ukraine.
“And that’s what we should be really clear about – that we continue our support for President Zelenskyy and his people in their existential fight.”
The UK could be spared the impact of Donald Trump’s proposed trade tariff increases on foreign imports, a US governor has told Sky News.
In the aftermath of the Republican candidate’s decisive election win over Kamala Harris this week, attention is turning to what the former president will do on his return to the White House.
Mr Trump has said he wants to raise tariffs – taxes on imported products – on goods from around the world by 10%, rising to 60% on goods from China, as part of his plan to protect US industries.
But there are fears in foreign capitals about what this could do to their economies. Goldman Sachs has downgraded its forecast for the UK’s economic growth next year from 1.6% to 1.4%, while EU officials are anticipating a reduction in exports to the US of €150bn (£125bn).
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However, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy – a Democrat – says he believes Mr Trump may consider not including the UK in the tariff plans.
Speaking on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, the governor said he cannot speak for the president-elect but he has a “good relationship” with him.
His gut feeling is that Mr Trump will not impose tariffs on goods from allies like the UK. “But if I’m China, I’m fastening my seatbelt right now,” he said.
Mr Murphy said that Mr Trump may look favourably at the UK after its departure from the European Union.
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The president-elect is considering offering the UK a special deal that would exempt British exports from billions of pounds of tariffs, according to The Telegraph.
“Donald Trump (has) some sympathy with the renegade who has courage,” Mr Murphy continued. “I think there’s some of that. I think that’s a card that can be played. We’ll see.”
Asked about whether UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer can build a rapport with the incoming president, Mr Murphy said: “I’ve been able to find common ground with President Trump, and I’m a proud progressive, although I’m a cold-blooded capitalist, which is probably the part of me that President Trump resonates with.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she is “confident” trade flows with the United States will continue despite the tariff proposal.
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The suggestion – ironic, given the PM’s hostility to Brexit and his pledge for a “reset” with the EU – has been made by a Trump ally and confidant, albeit a leading Democrat.
The claim comes from Phil Murphy, governor of New Jersey, in an interview for Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News.
Murphy says he has a good relationship with Trump, who has a palatial home he calls the Summer White House, a 500-acre estate and a golf club at Bedminster, New Jersey, just 45 minutes from Trump Tower in New York.
He says his “gut feeling” is that Trump has sympathy with the UK for having the courage to pull out of the EU, “this big bureaucratic blob” and “that’s a card that can be played” by the UK in trade talks.
Really? As Trevor politely pointed out, that might benefit the UK if the prime minister was Nigel Farage rather than Sir Keir.
Mr Farage, however, speaking at a Reform UK regional conference in Exeter, described Trump as a “pro-British American president” who’d give the UK “potentially huge opportunities”.
But there’s one problem, according to the Reform UK leader. Favours from Trump will only come, he claims, “if we can overcome the difficulties that the whole of the cabinet have been rude about him”.
You can watch the full interview with Governor Phil Murphy as well as other guests on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips from 8.30am.
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