Jim Reed
Reporting from the inquiry

As Boris Johnson starts with an apology, and protestors are removed from the inquiry room, it's worth looking back at Baroness Hallett's early comments about press leaks.

Before Johnson started giving evidence she said in a statement that she wanted to remind "all those involved in the inquiry process that they must maintain this confidentiality".

"Until a witness is called and appears at a hearing, or the inquiry publishes the witness's statement, it's meant to be confidential between the witness, the inquiry and the core participants."

Many of the details of Boris Johnson's 200-page witness statement were published over the weekend in both the Times and Telegraph newspapers. The BBC also reported on the key points which Johnson was planning to make.

After the brief interruption, former PM Boris Johnson begins his evidence by saying how glad he is to be at the inquiry and apologises for the "pain and the loss and the suffering" of the victims of the pandemic.

He says he "understands the feelings of these victims and their families" and repeats that he is "deeply sorry".

He adds that while he is grateful to healthcare workers and other public servants, he hopes the inquiry will get "the answers these families are rightly asking".

Baroness Hallett has interrupted Johnson's opening comments to the inquiry by addressing a person attending the hearing.

We can't see the person in question, but Hallett points to someone in the room and tells them to sit down multiple times, adding that they will be removed from the hearing if they don't return to their seat.

The former prime minister has entered the room and is being sworn in - and, with that, the inquiry is under way for the day.

Boris Johnson is being questioned by Hugo Keith KC, the lead counsel to the inquiry.

As a reminder, you can watch the session live by pressing the Play button at the top of this page.

The cameras are on Baroness Hallett, who is chairing the inquiry, who has just entered the room and taken her seat.

Before evidence begins, Baroness Hallett voices concerns about leaks and the content of Boris Johnson's evidence being given to the press before it is presented to the inquiry.

Voters to be reminded of government controversiespublished at 10:00 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2023

10:00 GMT 6 December 2023

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

A big part of Rishi Sunak’s strategy to turn around the polls and win the next general election is to offer a new start after the Johnson era.

The Covid inquiry makes that harder, with some of the most significant decisions made on Johnson’s watch examined and re-examined in granular detail.

And to state the obvious, Johnson himself appearing before the inquiry will be a reminder to the voting public of some of the controversies of his government.

It’s also worth remembering that it will be Sunak’s own turn soon.

The evidence sessions with other witnesses so far suggest he will face some tough questions about the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

And time Sunak spends accounting for decisions he made as Johnson’s chancellor is time he can’t spend presenting himself as a clean break from the past.

How did Boris Johnson feel about a second lockdown?published at 09:55 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2023

09:55 GMT 6 December 2023

Jim Reed
Reporting from the inquiry

We got an interesting insight into Boris Johnson’s unfiltered views on lockdown restrictions earlier in this inquiry.

A document was published written by the government’s Covid Taskforce on 28 October 2020 as the virus was threatening to overwhelm NHS hospitals.

On the back is a half-page box for "prime minister’s comments". Johnson scrawled his thoughts over not one but two full A4 pages at the time.

Image source, Covid inquiry

“What do we achieve by smashing the economy if we don’t know how many times we have to do it?” he writes on the first page.

He worries that there is no longer public support for “sweeping government action” and is clearly frustrated about the effectiveness of the test and trace system.

“Is [it] actually doing ANYTHING?” he asks. “How can we get people to self-isolate?” Expect Johnson to be asked about all these points when he gives evidence over the next two days.

Keith v Johnson: Inquiry lawyer to turn screw on former PMpublished at 09:50 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2023

09:50 GMT 6 December 2023

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

Image source, PA

One of the most fascinating elements of Boris Johnson’s evidence will be watching him joust with Hugo Keith KC, the counsel to the inquiry.

Having been prime minister for three years with all the House of Commons debating that entails, Johnson is used to being scrutinised.

But the format and power dynamics of the inquiry are very different to despatch box exchanges where the prime minister has raucous supporters sitting behind them and usually gets the last word.

Keith has visibly lost patience with some of the politicians he has interrogated so far, demanding more concise answers and interjecting when he feels they are wandering away from the topic.

Johnson, it is fair to say, has a distinctive personality. It will be fascinating to see how he interacts with Keith.

Ellie Price
Reporting from outside the inquiry

Image source, PA Media

The Bereaved Families for Justice and the Long Covid support group have just held an impromptu press conference outside the inquiry in Paddington.

There have been protesters outside the hearing on and off over the last few weeks but never as many as today.

Remember there will be questions to Boris Johnson from lawyers on behalf of these groups as part of the hearing.

This is likely to happen after the main evidence is finished tomorrow afternoon.

Timing of lockdowns to be questionedpublished at 09:29 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2023

09:29 GMT 6 December 2023

Jim Reed
Reporting from the inquiry

Image source, PA Media

Expect two key moments to come under scrutiny when Boris Johnson gives evidence.

Firstly the decision to lock down the whole country on 23 March 2020.

Other witnesses, including former health secretary Matt Hancock, have said that, with hindsight, an earlier decision could have saved many lives.

Then there is the period from September 2020 when Covid cases were starting to rise once again.

The government’s scientific advisers were calling for tougher restrictions including a circuit-breaker lockdown.

The government did not go that far – although some other restrictions were tightened up and the tiers system of regional controls were introduced.

A second England-wide lockdown was imposed anyway on 5 November.

At the time though, Johnson and the government were trying to balance the effects of the virus against the damage done by lockdown to the economy and society in general.

Helena Rothman
Reporting from outside the inquiry

Amos Waldman’s grandma moved into a care home as a trial during the first wave. After three weeks she died, on 2 April 2020.

Amos is outside the inquiry as feels he deserves some answers on behalf of his grandma, Sheila Lamb, from the person who was responsible for making the key decisions.

Most importantly he wants lessons to be learnt - so that other families don’t have to endure what his family have.

A return to the fray for the landslide-winning Johnsonpublished at 09:05 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2023

09:05 GMT 6 December 2023

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

Image source, PA Media

Today marks a return to the political fray for Boris Johnson, six months after he suddenly quit Parliament.

For years he has been at the centre of British politics: as mayor of London, as de facto leader of the Brexit campaign, as foreign secretary, as a Conservative leadership candidate, as prime minister, and again - briefly - as a leadership contender.

Johnson resigned as an MP in June after receiving the findings of the privileges committee’s report into whether he misled Parliament over lockdown-breaking events at Downing Street.

And since then he has been mostly fairly low-profile, writing a weekly newspaper column - though often choosing topics perpendicular to the news agenda.

For the next two days at least, Johnson is back. His mere presence is a reminder that before the extraordinary tumult in the Conservative Party, Johnson won a landslide general election victory.

And today’s subject matter is a reminder that as prime minister Johnson faced some of the gravest decisions a government has had to make in peacetime.

Why is Boris Johnson's appearance so important?published at 08:47 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2023

08:47 GMT 6 December 2023

Jim Reed
Reporting from the inquiry

Image source, PA Media

The inquiry has already heard that much of the decision-making in the pandemic didn’t take place in cabinet, or in the Cobra emergency committee, but in Downing Street itself.

The prime minister, his advisers and a small number of key ministers tended to be involved. That often included the Chancellor Rishi Sunak but also cabinet office minister Michael Gove and the health secretary Matt Hancock.

The final call, though, would have to be made by the prime minister. And his decision-making has come under intense scrutiny in this inquiry.

No 10’s former head of communications, Lee Cain, said the pandemic was the “wrong challenge” for Johnson as it needed someone who could make quick decisions and “hold the course”.

Sir Patrick Vallance, in his diary entries, repeatedly criticised what he felt was indecision and flip-flopping by the former prime minister, particularly in the autumn of 2020 as Covid cases were rising.

Others though have been far more sympathetic. Former foreign secretary Dominic Raab, for example, said Johnson was open to hearing contrary views - but that didn’t mean he was “wavering or vacillating”.

Ellie Price
Reporting from outside the inquiry

Boris Johnson's arrival was the earliest I’ve seen from any witness at the inquiry - the evidence is due to begin at 10:00.

The protesters representing bereaved families and those suffering from long Covid are here too - though some of them missed Johnson’s arrival and were frustrated not to catch a glimpse of him before he swept inside.

Many have travelled hundreds of miles to get here, and most won’t have tickets to go inside.

But they feel they need to be here and are prepared to stand in the cold, clutching photos of their lost loved ones, to witness this part of the pandemic’s story.

As we just mentioned, Boris Johnson's big arrival in central London came before sunrise.

In an interview with Sky News, Policing Minister Chris Philp joked: "It's the first time Boris has ever been early for anything."

Watch his arrival below.

Image source, PA Media

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has arrived for two days of questioning at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

It's thought he will apologise for mistakes during the pandemic - but sources also say he’ll argue he got the big calls right and saved thousands of lives.

Johnson has already faced criticism at the inquiry - including from his ex-aide Dominic Cummings - though others, including Michael Gove, have defended him.

We’ll bring you text coverage here, and you’ll also be able to watch every second by pressing play at the top of the page.