One of Boris Johnson’s key aides turned messages to “disappear” in a key Covid WhatsApp group only weeks before the Covid inquiry was announced, it has been revealed.
Martin Reynolds was grilled about switching the function to delete messages in the then-PM’s group April 2021 – just before the inquiry was announced in May 2021 – as he gave evidence on Monday.
Mr Reynolds, Mr Johnson’s principal private secretary, told the inquiry he “cannot recall exactly why I did so” – before adding that he did not believe it was to “prevent” the inquiry having access to the messages.
The former No 10 official – dubbed “Party Marty” for his infamous ‘bring your own booze” drinks event email during Partygate – said he may have been worried about colleagues screenshotting the WhatsApp messages and leaking them to the media.
“I can speculate as to why I might have done it … It could, for example, have been because I was worried of someone screenshotting or using some of the exchanges and leaking them,” said Mr Reynolds.
It also emerged at Monday’s hearing that the country’s top civil servant Simon Case said Mr Johnson was “mad” if he did not believe his WhatsApp messages would become public as part of the inquiry.
The reference to Mr Johnson being “mad” was made in WhatsApp messages between Mr Case and Mr Reynolds, who is appearing before Baroness Heather Hallett’s probe.
In correspondence shared from December 2021, Mr Case said: “PM is mad if he doesn’t think his WhatsApps will become public via Covid inquiry – but he was clearly not in the mood for that discussion tonight! We’ll have that battle in the new year.”
Mr Reynolds responded: “Agreed – thanks for your help.”
The former top aide to Mr Johnson made headlines after it emerged he arranged a gathering in the No 10 garden on 20 May 2020 when leaving home without a reasonable excuse was banned.
An email on behalf of Mr Reynolds was sent inviting around 200 staff to enjoy the “lovely weather” with some “socially distanced drinks in the garden this evening … Please join us from 6pm and bring your own booze!”
Giving evidence to the inquiry on Monday, Mr Reynolds was asked by Hugo Keith KC, lead counsel to the inquiry, what that “battle” over WhatsApp messages referenced in the messages was about.
Mr Reynolds said: “I cannot recall, but I imagine that the prime minster – I’m afraid I can only speculate – but I imagine he hadn’t realised that all of his WhatApps would become public via the Covid inquiry.”
Mr Keith added: “Because of course as the then prime minister, his WhatsApps would form a vital part of a full, transparent examination of the decision-making at the time, as yours would?” Mr Reynolds replied: “Yes.”
Martin Reynolds agrees Covid department officials operated ‘without a proper playbook’
Mr Reynolds also suggested he was worried about leaks. The inquiry heard Mr Reynolds had turned on a “disappearing message function” on a WhatsApp group titled “PM Updates” on 15 April 2021. The Covid inquiry was announced on 12 May 2021.
Asked why, he said: “I can speculate as to why I might have done it. As I said at the start, I have kept all my other WhatsApps for the relevant period and handed them over, so I don’t believe it was intended to prevent the inquiry from having sight of this.
“It could, for example, have been because I was worried of someone screenshotting or using some of the exchanges and leaking them.”
Downing Street has said government officials are “permitted” to disappear their WhatsApp messages, amid concern it has become more prevalent among ministers and their special advisers.
Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said updated guidance from March allows the function – adding that as civil servants are required to “record and log official decisions and views for their record where it is relevant and appropriate”. Asked if No 10 thought the current guidance was sufficient, the PM’s spokesman said: “Yes.”
Mr Reynolds said he could not recall why Mr Johnson did not chair an emergency Cobra meeting on Covid in January 2020. Asked about a ten-day period in February 2020, the half-term holiday when Mr Johnson was not given information about the pandemic – Mr Reynolds said he “probably should” have done more to inform the PM.
He appeared to acknowledge the Cabinet Office was not adequately ready for the scale of the Covid pandemic. “With the benefit of hindsight, it does appear that we should have been far more vigorously looking and testing out arrangements for what was coming.”
A range of senior officials, including Mr Cummings, will appear before Lady Hallet’s inquiry this week. Ex-No 10 director of communications Lee Cain will give evidence later, as well as former private secretary to the PM for public services Imran Shafi.