By Andrew MacAskillLONDON (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make a much-anticipated appearance before an inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday with his personal reputation and that of the Conservative government at stake. He was said to have asked at one point if blowing a hair-dryer up his nose could kill the virus. The inquiry is assessing decision-making through written and oral evidence from former and current ministers and officials. It has also been given access to private messages they exchanged in the run-up to, and at the height of, the crisis. In private messages seen by the inquiry, Simon Case, Britain's most senior civil servant, claimed in private messages that his boss changed "strategic direction every day" and he was unable to lead.

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Persons: Andrew MacAskill, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Patrick Vallance, –, Dominic Cummings, Eddie Lister, Lee Cain, Simon Case, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Andrew MacAskill LONDON, British, Conservative, Britain, Conservatives, Labour Party Locations: COVID, Britain, Downing