Former prime minister Boris Johnson’s pandemic-era chief adviser Dominic Cummings has said he will give evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry later this month.

Mr Cummings used his latest Substack post to reveal he had been going through his statement with inquiry lawyers, describing the process as “painful”.

“I finally sent it in on Thursday. I give evidence on 31/10,” he wrote.

Mr Cummings was Mr Johnson’s closest aide when the pandemic emerged, and the Government was forced to defend him after he drove to County Durham beauty spot Barnard Castle during the first lockdown.

But he left Downing Street in November 2020 following infighting in No 10 and has since become a critic of the former prime minister, suggesting he was indecisive in the response to Covid.

In his post Mr Cummings said he would eventually do a “post-evidence AMA (ask me anything)” on his and others’ statements but had been asked not to post his yet.