Britain will hold a public inquiry into the government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic next year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

“This process will place the state's actions under the microscope,” he told parliament, according to a Reuters report.

The inquiry will have the backing of legislation giving it far-reaching powers, Johnson said.

Johnson had previously agreed to hold an inquiry but resisted pressure from opposition parties to begin it while the government was still handling the crisis, saying it was more important to focus on that and the subsequent recovery plan.