A public inquiry will be launched next spring to investigate “rigorously and candidly” what mistakes the UK government made during the coronavirus pandemic, but could take weeks before it starts hearing evidence, Boris Johnson has announced. Johnson has told MPs that the work from home guidance for England will be lifted from 21 June, provided Covid cases stay low. (See 4.34pm.) But Johnson has also told MPs that the Indian variant is “of increasing concern”. He told the Commons that the variant (B16172) may be “considerably more transmissible” than B117, the so-called Kent or UK variant, which is now dominant in the UK. (However, on Monday Prof Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, also said the Indian variant was less likely to be resistant to vaccines than some of the other variants, like the South African one.) A rapid rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine across the UK’s four nations lifted GDP by 2.1% in March, helping prevent a steep fall during the first three months of the year, according to official figures. Johnson has apologised on behalf of the government for the killing of 10 innocent civilians in Northern Ireland by the British army in 1971. Following yesterday’s inquest verdict, Johnson issued the apology in a private conversation with Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill, the first minister and deputy first minister of Northern Ireland. In a statement about the call No 10 said: [Johnson] said the conclusions of the Ballymurphy Inquest, published yesterday, were deeply sad and that the events of August 1971 were tragic. The prime minister apologised unreservedly on behalf of the UK government for the events that took place in Ballymurphy and the huge anguish that the lengthy pursuit of truth has caused the families of those killed. The prime minster restated the government’s intention to deliver a way forward in Northern Ireland that focuses on reconciliation, delivers for victims of the Troubles and ends the cycle of reinvestigations. He stressed the importance of working hard to keep the gains made through the Belfast/Good Friday agreement and of all parties doing their utmost to help the victims’ families find out what happened to their loved ones, so that future generations are not burdened by the past. Boris Johnson has had a county court judgment issued against him for a debt that has not been repaid, official records show, placing the prime minister at risk of not only a bad credit rating but potential enforcement action by bailiffs arriving at Downing Street. Downing Street says the court order is “totally without merit”. (See 4.38pm.) Tony Blair, the former Labour leader and prime minister, has said the party needs “total deconstruction and reconstruction”. (See 12.15pm.) Ed Miliband, another former Labour leader, has said the party should be bolder. (See 10.18am.) That’s all from me for today. But our coronavirus coverage continues on our global live blog. It’s here.