Covid Inquiry: has Boris Johnson forgotten his passcode for WhatsApps phone? Unlocking issues explained

Boris Johnson is struggling to unlock his old mobile phone to provide WhatsApp messages to the Covid-19 Inquiry.

The former Prime Minister was ordered to hand over the texts to the inquiry, but missed the deadline due to complications gaining access. Reports suggested Johnson had forgotten the code, however his allies have said he recalled the digits but wasn't sure of them.

Johnson was banned from using this phone by security services while Prime Minister, after it emerged the number had been freely available online for 15 years. The device likely contains messages relating to the ordering of lockdowns in 2020, along with his administration’s early response to the coronavirus pandemic.

An ally of the former Conservative Party leader said: “It is not true that Boris does not remember his Pin number, it is just that he does not have 100% confidence he remembers it. Separately, the Government has found its own version of the Pin.”

A mobile security expert cast doubt on claims the messages cannot be accessed because of a memory lapse on Johnson’s part. Andrew Whaley, senior technical director at Norwegian cybersecurity company Promon, said: “This is a pretty lame excuse. Provided Boris’s WhatsApp is backed up, accessing the data would take minutes.

“As this is a diplomatic phone, the security measures may very well be different, but even still, it’s not an impossible task by any means.”

The Cabinet Office had until 4pm on Monday to hand over the unredacted WhatsApp messages from Johnson’s previous phone after it lost a legal challenge. Legal action was brought against the request made by inquiry chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett, with the Cabinet Office arguing that the materials were "unambiguously irrelevant" to the inquiry.

During the ruling, Lord Justice Dingemans and Mr Justice Garnham dismissed the claim for judicial review. stating that they believed Lady Hallett has "acted rationally" in asking for the documents.

They said: “The diaries and notebooks sought were very likely to contain information about decision making relating to the Covid-19 pandemic and therefore ‘relate to a matter in question at the inquiry’. The two judges added: “To answer the practical issue which seems to have divided the Cabinet Office and the chair of the inquiry, the chair of the inquiry may examine the contested documents, and if the chair of the inquiry agrees that they are obviously irrelevant, will return them.”

They added that the Cabinet Office could make a different application to Lady Hallett should they consider to keep challenging the request. However, the government has said that it will "comply fully" with the requests of the Inquiry following the High Court ruling.

A government spokesperson said at the time: “The inquiry is an important step to learn lessons from the pandemic and the Government is co-operating in the spirit of candour and transparency. As this judgement acknowledges, our judicial review application was valid as it raised issues over the application of the Inquiries Act 2005 that have now been clarified.