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Watch: Covid inquiry enters fifth week as trade union bosses give evidence

Holly Patrick
Monday 17 July 2023 05:26 EDT
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Watch as the UK’s Covid inquiry enters its fifth week on Monday, 17 July.

Trade bosses will appear before the inquiry, which is examining the UK’s preparedness for the pandemic, to give evidence.

Kate Bell from the Trades Union Congress, Gerry Murphy from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and Professor Philip Banfield from the British Medical Association will speak today.

Dr Jennifer Dixon, chief of the Health Foundation charity, and British Red Cross boss Michael Adamson will also give evidence.

Monday’s evidence comes as the inquiry could finally gain access to Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages from 2020.

The former prime minister had forgotten the code used to unlock the iPhone – abandoned in May 2021 after it emerged his mobile number had been online for 15 years, according to The Times.

The device likely contains key messages relating to Covid lockdowns in 2020 and other decisions from the pandemic up until April 2021.

An ally of Mr Johnson said the government has found its own version of the pin number.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “In-line with the process set out by the court, the Cabinet Office has provided all of the requested material to the inquiry.”

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