LONDON— Legal action looms over the Cabinet Office as it faces scrutiny for redacting the former prime minister’s WhatsApps and diary entries. Johnson contends that he has been treated unjustly following concerns raised with the police about potential breaches of lockdown laws.

The independent COVID inquiry has issued a stern warning to the government, cautioning that criminal sanctions may be in store unless complete diaries belonging to Boris Johnson are provided. In a separate development, the former prime minister has severed ties with the government lawyers representing him at the inquiry. He expresses his ire at the Cabinet Office’s decision to share information with the police regarding possible breaches of lockdown regulations, vehemently denying any wrongdoing.

The question of whether the unadulterated truth will ever be uncovered about the government’s actions during the pandemic looms large. A dispute has erupted between the COVID inquiry and the government, centered on the disclosure or extensive redaction of messages, WhatsApp conversations, and other exchanges.

Government officials assert that certain messages are unequivocally irrelevant and warrant omission, while COVID support groups and victims’ organizations contend that such actions would be outrageous and amount to a cover-up. Additionally, scrutiny surrounds Boris Johnson’s taxpayer-funded legal representation. Recent reports indicate that information pertaining to potential additional violations committed by Johnson during his tenure as prime minister has been handed to the police—an allegation he vehemently denies.

Amidst a whirlwind of activity, Boris Johnson is presently engaged in a tour of the United States.

NEWS SPOTLIGHT

Credentialed by the White House, State Department, and U.S. Senate Press Galleries, The Pavlovic Today stands among an elite group of independent media organizations covering power at the highest level....