The deadline for the federal government at hand over Boris Johnson's WhatsApp messages has been delayed by the COVID inquiry.

The inquiry had ordered the government to hand over the messages - alongside diary entries and notes - by 4pm on Tuesday 30 May.

The deadline has now set been 4pm on Thursday 1 June. The Cabinet Office requested for an extension to five June as they don't have entry to Mr Johnson's messages or notebooks, however this was rejected.

What is the COVID inquiry asking for?

• Unredacted messages despatched and acquired by Boris Johnson between 1 January 2020 and 24 February 2022.
• Unredacted diaries for Mr Johnson between 1 January 2020 and 24 February 2022
• Copies of 24 unredacted notebooks crammed in by Mr Johnson between 1 January 2020 and 24 February 2022
• Unredacted messages despatched and acquired by adviser Henry Cook between 1 January 2020 and 24 February 2022.
• The inquiry needs messages - even from group chats - concerning the authorities response to COVID, in addition to contact with an inventory of sure specialists, ministers, civil servants and advisers

This is regardless of saying of their unique attraction in opposition to the order that there was "unambiguously irrelevant" within the redacted components of messages despatched to the inquiry.

When the Cabinet Office lodged the attraction on 15 May, it stated Mr Johnson's WhatsApp messages had not but been acquired by the federal government.

A spokesman for the previous prime minister stated at the moment that he had "no objection" to sending the fabric to the inquiry.

Mr Johnson has written to the Cabinet Office to demand the federal government requests in writing entry to his messages and notes - which he says has not occurred but.

If the federal government doesn't abide by the brand new deadline on Thursday, the chair of the inquiry - Baroness Hallett - has ordered {that a} assertion be despatched by a "senior civil servant" confirming the Cabinet Office doesn't have the requested data, in addition to a chronology of the federal government's contacts with Mr Johnson concerning the requests and whether or not the federal government has ever had the information.

Breaking a bit 21 order may see the federal government face criminal proceedings, and there may be additionally potential for a court docket battle over whether or not the knowledge needs to be handed to the inquiry.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak spoke simply earlier than the inquiry's announcement, through which he stated the "government is carefully considering its position, but it is confident in the approach that it's taking".