An ugly legal spat has erupted between the Government and the official Covid Inquiry over a treasure trove of WhatsApp messages and notepads.
The Cabinet Office has ruled out handing over unredacted records to respected judge Baroness Heather Hallett, who is heading the probe into the handling of the pandemic.
Ministers are jumpy about handing over material that could be embarrassing to figures currently in post, while officials say much of it is "unambiguously irrelevant" and handing it over would be a breach of privacy.
