Downing Street is said to be alarmed by reports circulating that Dominic Cummings will release explosive WhatsApp messages exposing the chaos during the early days of the fight against Covid-19.
Insiders are said to be sifting through the phones in search of information that could cause them trouble.
This comes as a bitter spat between Boris Johnson and his former senior adviser continues to grow after Downing Street accused Cummings of being the “chatty rat” behind the lockdown leaks back in October.
Cummings vehemently denied the claims and accused the prime minister of using Tory donor funds to pay for a £200,000 refurbishment of his official flat above Number 11 in a blog published last week.
It was reported that Cummings is expected to present a “bombshell dossier” before the joint committee of MPs investigating the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis next month.
He is said to have stored damaging evidence from his time inside Downing Street, causing concern among Westminster circles.
“Everyone is worried about going too hard on Dom in case he drags them in too,” one Whitehall insider told The Sun.
“Some very senior people are scrolling back through their phones wondering if they are in trouble.”
This comes as Johnson fends off accusations he used Tory Party funds to pay for a refurb of his apartment spearheaded by his fiancee Carrie Symonds.
Reports suggest Symonds spent up to £200,000 redecorating their official residency with new furniture. Reports suggest Symonds loathed the accessories brought in by former prime minister Theresa May, which mainly consisted of wares from John Lewis.
Under current regulations, any donations must be declared within 28 days. Political parties are also obliged to release quarterly spending reviews. The last one released by the Conservative Party Headquarters was in July last year.
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