Apart from delaying damaging disclosures before the next GE, I can't see how they claim a "win" from this. If the govt legal challenge succeeds, it looks like a cover up and the court of public opinion will be seen to have its say in the next cycle of VI polls. If they lose (as the terms of the Inquiries Act 2005 indicate they probably will), damaging revelations will almost certainly leak, and they'll look both incompetent and dishonest.
Either way, the optics will look bad, and although people won't remember the detail, they will remember the stink of a cover up.
How this meant to contribute to a 5th GE victory is, at best, very unclear. Who is advising them, and do they not understand the reputational damage? Truly baffling. Shades of Dom Cummings crossing the road to pick a fight he can't win.
Apart from delaying damaging disclosures before the next GE, I can't see how they claim a "win" from this. If the govt legal challenge succeeds, it looks like a cover up and the court of public opinion will be seen to have its say in the next cycle of VI polls. If they lose (as the terms of the Inquiries Act 2005 indicate they probably will), damaging revelations will almost certainly leak, and they'll look both incompetent and dishonest.
Either way, the optics will look bad, and although people won't remember the detail, they will remember the stink of a cover up.
How this meant to contribute to a 5th GE victory is, at best, very unclear. Who is advising them, and do they not understand the reputational damage? Truly baffling. Shades of Dom Cummings crossing the road to pick a fight he can't win.
I thought Boris Johnson’s phone was taken from him in June 21 by security services? That would explain a gap.