Working to make government more effective

Working to make government more effective

Boris Johnson outside Downing Street.
Podcast

WhatsApp with the Covid inquiry?

Salma Shah, and the i's chief political commentator Paul Waugh join the podcast team to discuss the unprecedented scale of the inquiry.

Westminster watchers are used to the long tails of public inquiries. Baroness Hallett’s investigation of the pandemic will be no different, with hers due to take evidence until 2026.

Her first big hurdle is the cache of government WhatsApps that have long been withheld by Number 10. With a legal challenge looming, what do the messages contain that has pushed their publication to the deadline?

Former adviser to Sajid Javid, Salma Shah, and the i's chief political commentator Paul Waugh join the podcast team to discuss the unprecedented scale of the inquiry.

Plus, with an election not far off, Rishi Sunak is in search of his own strategy, as he attempts to clean up the messes his predecessors left behind. Can he activate the machinery of Whitehall in time to make his own mark on Number 10?

What we talked about in this episode

People featured in this episode

Topic
Coronavirus Parliament and the constitution Ministers
Keywords
Public inquiries Law Cabinet Judicial review Government transparency Government communications General election
Political party
Conservative
Position
Prime minister
Administration
Sunak government Johnson government
Department
Cabinet Office
Public figures
Rishi Sunak Boris Johnson
Publisher
Institute for Government

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