MATT HANCOCK is to have his personal emails and WhatsApp messages searched amid a legal battle over millions of pounds’ worth of Covid-19 testing contracts.

On Tuesday, a High Court judge ordered that the former health secretary’s government and personal communications used for official business should be investigated for relevant material.

The proceedings were brought by the Good Law Project, which claims that more than £80m in contracts were awarded unlawfully to the test manufacturing firm Abingdon Health.

The legal campaign group says three contracts signed in April, June and August 2020 were published late and handed out secretly without advertisement or competition. 

Addressing the court, the group’s barrister Joseph Barrett said that Mr Hancock was the “ultimate decision-maker” in awarding the contracts and that he had used multiple personal email accounts for government business.

Mr Hancock — who did not attend — has denied any wrongdoing, insisting his personal involvement was “limited.”

However, when making his ruling, Mr Justice Fraser said: “Limited can still be quite significant.”

The full trial is due to begin on December 6.