Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Government work often done on WhatsApp during Covid, says top official

Government work often done on WhatsApp during Covid, says top official

Statement comes as it emerges that series of messages lost from Boris Johnson’s phone in April 2021
Communication within government during the pandemic was often by instant messaging, such as by WhatsApp, a senior Cabinet Office official has accepted, as it emerged that a series of messages have been lost from Boris Johnson’s phone.

The messages were lost in April 2021 amid security precautions when it was found that the prime minister’s phone number was listed on the internet, according to a statement by Sarah Harrison, chief operating officer at the Cabinet Office.

“The effect was that historic messages were no longer available to search and the phone is not active,” she wrote in a witness statement prepared for a court challenge by the Good Law Project and the Citizens, a non-profit media organisation, over the use of private messaging in government.

Among messages that would have been lost were ones with Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s then-chief adviser, in March 2021, which Cummings later presented in screenshot form, illustrating what he said was dysfunction amid the start of the Covid pandemic.

The loss of the messages comes despite official guidance, set out by Harrison in the statement, that ministers are “required to make a separate record of any conversation” relevant to work, and reminding them about an “export” function so conversations can be saved.

No 10 has a dedicated team that maintains both hard and electronic copies of relevant documents, her statement added, while WhatsApp is only allowed “for ephemeral chat and/or unclassified material.

“Users are expected to preserve any data for the public record that may be on WhatsApp or private email accounts where it should be copied [and moved to No 10 records],” she wrote, adding that No 10 staff are “constantly reminded of their responsibilities concerning the accurate keeping and capture of electronic records”.

Her statement sets out how much communication moved to electronic messaging amid remote working during Covid, often through WhatsApp groups.

“These WhatsApp groups were used for informal discussions between the participants,” it said. “These are the equivalent to the conversation that might previously have taken place in corridors, or in passing, had there not been a shift to remote working in line with the government’s guidance at that time.

“I have been reassured by No 10 officials that any relevant actions from these WhatsApp groups were copied across to formal channels and the official record where appropriate.”

The statement notes that there is also “some limited use” of ministers using private emails, mainly when travelling, and that two unnamed ministers use the secure chat service Signal “for informal conversations”.

Both groups had challenged the government over the use of informal communications, and the risk to permanent record-keeping of decisions.

In a statement, the Good Law Project said: “Given the current ‘partygate’ investigation, as well as the future inquiry into the government’s response to the pandemic, this has serious implications for transparency and holding the prime minister and his government to account.”

Johnson’s official spokesperson said he would not get into the “levels of communication” used by the prime minister but that “there are rules and guidelines” that were followed: “Those conversations can happen as long as any requisite information is provided to [their] private office and passed on, and that’s what takes place when it comes to the prime minister.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
×