LIVE - Updated at 10:49
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting says the PM should 'comply with the inquiry and do it today'.
The government has "absolutely nothing to hide" from the Covid inquiry and intends to be "absolutely transparent", a cabinet minister has said, after Rishi Sunak faced accusations of attempting to cover up the actions of senior MPs during the pandemic.
The Covid inquiry, led by the retired judge Heather Hallett, has used its powers to request unredacted notebooks, diaries and WhatApp correspondence between Boris Johnson and 40 senior government figures.
But the government is opposing the request on grounds that it wants to protect the privacy of ministers and officials, and is considering legal action to prevent disclosure.
The Cabinet Office has been given more time to hand over the unredacted information in relation to Johnson and one of his senior aides, Henry Cook, with the material now due by 4pm on Thursday. Refusing to comply with the inquiry's order is a potential criminal offence.
Related: Cabinet minister says government has 'nothing to hide' from Covid inquiry
The British businessman Dale Vince is a "perfectly legitimate person" to take money from and his donations to Just Stop Oil do not change Labour's position on the climate activist group, the shadow international trade secretary has said.
Nick Thomas-Symonds said his party had been "extremely clear on our views on Just Stop Oil" and that Vince was perfectly entitled to "give money to other causes", PA reported.
His comments come amid controversy in the Labour party over donations received from Vince, who is also a key donor to Just Stop Oil, protesters for which are known for carrying out disruptive stunts such as disrupting sporting events and bringing roads to a standstill.
Vince, the founder of the green energy firm Ecotricity, has given about £1.5m to Labour over the past decade, according to filings to the Electoral Commission.
Over the weekend, the home secretary, Suella Braverman, told the Telegraph Keir Starmer was "in bed" with Just Stop Oil donors and the Tory party chair, Greg Hands, urged Labour to hand back the money donated by Vince.
Speaking to the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Thomas-Symonds defended his party's position, saying:
We have been extremely clear on our views on Just Stop Oil. Indeed, Keir Starmer has said of them 'just go home' because they are not actually promoting the cause of tackling climate change. What they are doing is entirely counterproductive and the only debate it's provoking is about our public order laws.
We have been extremely clear on our views on Just Stop Oil. Indeed, Keir Starmer has said of them 'just go home' because they are not actually promoting the cause of tackling climate change.
What they are doing is entirely counterproductive and the only debate it's provoking is about our public order laws.
He said Vince, who is also the chairman of the League Two football club Forest Green Rovers, was a "successful businessman here in the UK", adding:
He's a perfectly legitimate person to take money from. If he wishes to give money to other causes that's up to him, but it can hardly be said that this affects our views as a Labour party on Just Stop Oil.
He's a perfectly legitimate person to take money from.
If he wishes to give money to other causes that's up to him, but it can hardly be said that this affects our views as a Labour party on Just Stop Oil.
Good morning and welcome to the UK politics live blog. We begin the day with the Labour party accusing Rishi Sunak of being "slippery" in the row over whether the government will hand over Boris Johnson's WhatsApp messages and other documents to the Covid inquiry.
The shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting , has told Sky News the prime minister should "comply with the inquiry and do it today".
He said:
I think the prime minister looks really slippery today. He says he wants the government to cooperate with the inquiry but the government has been withholding information the inquiry has asked for. One minute the government says the messages they have are immaterial; the next minute they're saying they don't exist. Which is it?
I think the prime minister looks really slippery today. He says he wants the government to cooperate with the inquiry but the government has been withholding information the inquiry has asked for.
One minute the government says the messages they have are immaterial; the next minute they're saying they don't exist. Which is it?
It comes as the work and pensions secretary, Mel Stride, said the government intended to be "absolutely transparent and candid" in relation to the Covid inquiry.
He told Kay Burley on Sky News:
So what the government is doing here is we have started this inquiry because we think it's very important that we get to the bottom of some really important questions that many, many millions of people want to know the answers to around the Covid pandemic and our response to it. We've provided around 55,000 documents, eight witness statements and corporate witness statements, as well, to the inquiry. And we absolutely intend to continue to be absolutely transparent and candid.
So what the government is doing here is we have started this inquiry because we think it's very important that we get to the bottom of some really important questions that many, many millions of people want to know the answers to around the Covid pandemic and our response to it.
We've provided around 55,000 documents, eight witness statements and corporate witness statements, as well, to the inquiry. And we absolutely intend to continue to be absolutely transparent and candid.
Inquiry chair Heather Hallett had ordered the government to hand over the messages, as well as diary entries and notes, by 4pm on Tuesday 30 May but the deadline has now been set for 4pm on Thursday 1 June.
The Cabinet Office's request for an extension to Monday 5 June was rejected.
Rail services in parts of England have ground to a halt with the first of three train strikes this week taking place as the long-running dispute between the unions and the government over pay, jobs and conditions continues.
A 24-hour strike by members of the driver's union Aslef is under way and a further day of industrial action is planned for Saturday, the day of the FA Cup final.
Rail operators have said services will be severely reduced and have urged passengers to plan their journey before travelling.
About 40% of trains will be running but there will be wide regional variations, with no services on networks including Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Northern, Southern, Southeastern, Thameslink and Northern.
In addition, crew and station staff who are members of RMT will take industrial action on Friday. Approximately half of normal services will run.
Related: Rail services in parts of England grind to halt in first of three train strikes this week