Chris Mason: The battle for truth over Covid is just starting

There has been an explosion of news about Boris Johnson.

But actually, if we peer beyond the former prime minister, what this is actually about is how, or even whether, we ever get to the whole truth about what went on during the pandemic among those making the big decisions at Westminster.

There is a row right now between the public inquiry into Covid and the government.

At its core is a question about disclosure.

How much, if any, black marker pen should be put through various messages written by and sent between senior figures in government at the time, so we can't read them properly?

It is what Westminster calls "redactions".

Covid victims' groups say it is outrageous and a cover-up.

There has been a flurry of letters back and forth published by the Covid inquiry which highlight this tussle.

The inquiry wants to see the unredacted WhatsApp messages between Mr Johnson and 40 people. You can see the full list here.

Prof Sir Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer.

Sir Patrick Vallance, the former chief scientific adviser to the government at Westminster.

Those stalwarts of those nightly briefings we got used to.

And, yes - among many others - Rishi Sunak.

So what is the government's case for saying no?

The crux of this is the bit of the law that relates to public inquiries, and how they operate. It is called the Inquiries Act 2005.

The government claims some of the material sought is "unambiguously irrelevant" to the inquiry.

Sources in government reckon they have got a good case. But so does the inquiry.

And you know what happens when this happens? Lawyers get involved.

His taxpayer-funded lawyers preparing him for the Covid inquiry came across what they thought might amount to evidence of further breaches of pandemic restrictions.

The Cabinet Office, the engine room at the heart of government, was informed, and civil servants told the police.

Mr Johnson is livid and now looking for a new set of lawyers.

New lawyers, same bill payer - you and me, the taxpayer.

The convention here is when government figures or former government figures find themselves called in front of inquiries in relation to their former public duties, public funds will pick up the tab for their legal representation.

One source insisted Mr Johnson going lawyer shopping wouldn't hike the bill.

This blizzard of detail with a certain Mr Johnson at the heart of it is merely the beginning.

The battle for reputations, accountability and, ultimately, truth over Covid is only just getting started.