BORIS Johnson did not respond to the publication of the messages by Dominic Cummings when asked at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Earlier today the PM's former chief adviser published alleged WhatsApp messages he claims show Johnson calling Health Secretary Matt Hancock's handling of Covid-19 testing "totally f****** hopeless".

Alongside the image of the apparent WhatsApp exchange, Cummings tweeted: “Evidence on the covid disaster: as the PM said himself, Hancock’s performance on testing, procurement, PPE, care homes etc was ‘totally f***ing hopeless’, & his account to MPs was fiction.”

READ MORE: 'F****** hopeless': Dominic Cummings reveals alleged texts from PM about Hancock

Labour say the messages show the need for an immediate start to the public inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, which is not due to begin until next year.

Shadow health minister Justin Madders said: “This is more evidence that the Conservatives were too slow to lock down, too slow to deliver PPE and too slow to protect our care homes.

The National:

“With this evidence that even the PM thinks (Health Secretary Matt) Hancock is useless, why in the worst pandemic in our history has he left him in charge?

“Hancock and Johnson need to respond to these latest revelations and immediately start the public inquiry into their handling of the pandemic.”