Hancock's co-author Oakeshott could release MORE bombshells

‘There are plenty of things I can say about his behaviour that I’m not going to do… at least not at this stage’: Matt Hancock’s co-author Isabel Oakeshott threatens to release MORE embarrassing bombshells for ex-Health Secretary as their war hots up

• Journalist Ms Oakeshott co-wrote former Health Secretary’s pandemic diaries
• But she insisted this morning her responsibilities ‘are now to the public interest’ 

The journalist who sensationally leaked Matt Hancock’s WhatsApp messages has today warned there is ‘plenty more’ she can reveal about the MP’s behaviour.

Isabel Oakeshott decided to share a tranche of more than 100,000 texts with The Telegraph, which the former Health Secretary gave to her while they were working together on his book Pandemic Diaries.

She also accused Mr Hancock of sending her a ‘threatening’ text late on Tuesday night, following the first batch of bombshell revelations. 

Mr Hancock denied doing so but described her actions as a ‘massive betrayal and breach of trust’.

Quizzed about how she would describe her behaviour towards Mr Hancock on BBC Radio 4 today, Ms Oakeshott said: ‘What I’m not going to do, because it wouldn’t be pretty, is get involved in a slanging match with Matt Hancock.

‘He can threaten me all he likes.

Isabel Oakeshott, former Daily Mail editor and Sunday Times political editor, today warned that she won’t discuss his actions — ‘at least not at this stage’

Isabel Oakeshott, who co-wrote the former Health Secretary’s pandemic diaries, told the Today programme her responsibilities ‘are now to the public interest’

‘There are plenty of things I can say about his behaviour, by the way, that I’m not going to do, at least not at this stage, because this is not about Matt Hancock, it is so much bigger than that.

‘Trust me, there’s plenty I can say.’

Ms Oakeshott told presenter Nick Robinson the ‘cache of very raw communications’ show what was ‘really being said behind the scenes as policy decisions were taken that affected all of our lives’.

She argued her responsibilities ‘are now to the public interest’ as she defended the publication of the correspondence, adding that it would have been wrong to ‘sit on’ the treasure trove of private messages between government figures.

The WhatsApp messages have already revealed that Mr Hancock was given advice from England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty to test all residents going into care homes for Covid. Yet he did not follow the recommendation — which, he claims, is because of test shortages at the time.

It also set out that face masks were introduced in school hallways and communal areas after Boris Johnson was told it would avoid an ‘argument’ with Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.

Extraordinary WhatsApps reveal how kids were ‘let down’ during Covid: Matt Hancock pushed No10 to SHUT schools despite concerns, with children made to stick to rule of six needlessly – and wear masks to ‘stop an argument’ with Sturgeon 

Matt Hancock was involved in a bitter behind-the-scenes clash with the then education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson over moves to keep schools open during the Covid pandemic, according to the latest tranche of leaked messages published by The Daily Telegraph

And Mr Hancock took ‘rearguard’ action to close schools after former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson persuaded the Prime Minister to keep them open in January 2021, according to the messages, which MailOnline has not seen or independently verified.

Mr Hancock gave the messages to Ms Oakeshott as they collaborated on his memoirs. 

But she subsequently handed them to the newspaper, which has published a series of stories based on the communications with fellow ministers and officials. 

In a statement this morning, the former minister apologised for the impact of the release of the messages on those he had worked with during the pandemic.

He denied having sent Ms Oakeshott a ‘somewhat menacing’ message in the early hours of Wednesday morning, insisting he just told Ms Oakeshott it was ‘a big mistake – nothing more’.

Mr Hancock said: ‘I am hugely disappointed and sad at the massive betrayal and breach of trust by Isabel Oakeshott.

‘I am also sorry for the impact on the very many people – political colleagues, civil servants and friends – who worked hard with me to get through the pandemic and save lives.’

Explaining the message he sent to his co-author, Mr Hancock said: ‘Last night, I was accused of sending menacing messages to Isabel. This is also wrong.

‘When I heard confused rumours of a publication late on Tuesday night, I called and messaged Isabel to ask her if she had “any clues” about it and got no response. 

‘When I then saw what she’d done, I messaged to say it was “a big mistake”. Nothing more.’

He added: ‘There is absolutely no public interest case for this huge breach. All the materials for the book have already been made available to the [Covid] inquiry, which is the right, and only, place for everything to be considered properly and the right lessons to be learned. 

‘As we have seen, releasing them in this way gives a partial, biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda.

‘Isabel and I had worked closely together for more than a year on my book, based on legal confidentiality and a process approved by the Cabinet Office. 

Matt Hancock attends a virtual press conference inside 10 Downing Street in 2021

The former health secretary was at the centre of a growing political storm following the unprecedented leak of 100,000 WhatsApp messages, some of which are recreated here

‘Isabel repeatedly reiterated the importance of trust throughout, and then broke that trust.

But Ms Oakeshott hit back at this, telling TalkTV: ‘What a ridiculous defence. 

‘For someone who’s as intelligent as Matt Hancock to issue a statement saying there is no public interest in these revelations is patently absurd. And he knows that very well.’ 

Mr Hancock’s statement was released just minutes after a fiery exchange between Ms Oakeshott and Today presenter Mr Robinson, in which she outlined her reasons for publishing the exchanges.

She said: ‘This is about the millions of people, every one of us in this country, that were adversely affected by the catastrophic decisions to lock down this country repeatedly, often on the flimsiest of evidence, for political reasons.

‘Not one journalist worth their salt would sit on a cache of information in such an important matter, such a historic matter and cover that up. 

‘Do you know what would have happened if I hadn’t released this stuff? The usual suspects would have had a massive go at me for sitting on these files, wouldn’t they? We know that.’

Education secretary Gavin Williamson said teachers ‘hate work’ and were looking for ‘an excuse’ for time off during the pandemic in WhatsApp chats with Matt Hancock – who branded school unions ‘absolute a**es’, leaked messages reveal 

Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock branded teaching unions ‘absolute a**es’ in leaked WhatsApp messages to then-Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, who added they ‘hate work’ and claimed teachers were looking for ‘an excuse’ not to teach

 

Asked by Mr Robinson why she had broken Mr Hancock’s trust, Ms Oakeshott said: ‘I would describe myself as somebody who is acting in the overwhelming national interest.’

The journalist also told the programme how the release of the messages represented an acceleration of the public inquiry into the pandemic and how it was handled, which she said was ‘a lifetime’s work’.

She said: ‘The judge in charge of the inquiry is an extraordinarily well-respected figure, I in no way mean to disparage her, I’m sure she will do a brilliant job. 

‘The issue is the remit which is absolutely enormous. I don’t know if you’ve looked at it, I have, I would say that’s a lifetime’s work. 

‘It is completely unrealistic to expect any answers if that remit is carried out as described within the next decade. What needs to happen is the acceleration of that.

‘Sweden managed to wrap up its inquiry last year. We need, as Keir Starmer said in the House of Commons yesterday… for this to wrap up by the end of this year, that is a realistic time-frame.

‘Let me very clear, there were 2.3million words [within the text messages]. I was trying to write a book in an extraordinarily tight deadline… that was twice the length of a standard political book. 

‘There is no way I could have gone through 2.3million words, and you can imagine, knowing that was what I had, how hard it’s going to be for a public inquiry.’

Since the unprecedented leak of 100,000 messages, the former health secretary has been at the centre of a growing political storm, which is likely to see the release of private discussions involving dozens of ministers and officials.

Mr Hancock came under immediate fire from bereaved families after messages were released suggesting he had rejected official advice to test all residents going into care homes – a claim he hotly disputes.

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