Isabel Oakeshott

Ex-minister's judgment questioned for trusting journalist who has long made clear her disdain for his lockdown policies.

Some Tories also expressed surprise that Hancock entrusted his records to Oakeshott, given she is in a long-term relationship with Richard Tice, the leader of the Reform party. Darroch was forced to resign on the basis that his position had become untenable as a result of the leaks. He passed the story to Oakeshott and kept his name off it to avoid “possible controversy”. One theory as to why she leaked Hancock’s messages is that her decision to co-write his book was causing problems for her as a rightwing pundit in the so-called culture wars. Just three months ago she was proudly promoting the book, appearing at its launch and writing Despite extensive research, Call Me Dave failed to get close to Cameron’s inner circle and is mainly remembered for its allegation that the prime minister engaged in sexual congress with a dead pig at a decadent university party. A judge agreed with Starmer’s request and – rather than protect their source – the Sunday Times and Oakeshott complied with the order. She insisted she did not always plan to publish Hancock’s WhatsApps but decided to leak them “when it became clear the public inquiry had no deadline and will likely take a decade or more to conclude”. Two years later, having sat on the messages, she Oakeshott said she is only employed by TalkTV on a freelance basis and is therefore able to work for other publications. The Crown Prosecution Service – led by the future Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer – requested the correspondence between Oakeshott and Pryce. Pryce mentioned that she had once taken speeding points on behalf of Huhne.

Political journalist at cente of storm over claims Matt Hancock rejected scientific advice to Covid test people going into care homes during the pandemic.

“They are completely unnecessary symbols of fear and repression.” Oakeshott says she is interested in defence, the state of the health service and “the true cost of cheap meat”. It was in 2010, during her stint at the Times, that Oakeshott broke the Huhne story that led to his dismissal from the government and jail sentences for him and his ex-wife Pryce. An award-winning journalist, she started her career on local and regional newspapers in Scotland, before moving to England and eventually working her way up to being the politics editor of The Sunday Times and the Daily Mail’s political editor at large - a post she held until February 2016. The communications were leaked to The Telegraph by Oakeshott after she collaborated with Hancock for his controversial Pandemic Diaries memoir, which was published in December last year ahead of a public inquiry into the government’s response to the pandemic. But she denied failing in her duty of care to Pryce for publishing the story which ultimately led to her - and her former husband - being jailed.

Isabel Oakeshott leaked messages, which suggested the ex Health Secretary was told in April 2020 there should be "testing of all going into care homes"

A spokesman alleged the leaked messages have been "spun to fit an anti-lockdown agenda". This story categorically shows that the right place for this analysis of what happened in the pandemic is in the inquiry." Her behaviour is outrageous." The claims were heavily denied. The leaked messages suggested the ex Health Secretary was told in April 2020 there should be "testing of all going into care homes". The disgraced MP was criticised after the journalist and writer, who worked with the politician on his Pandemic Diaries memoir, leaked the messages to the

As Matt Hancock battles claims that he rejected advice on coronavirus testing, attention is also turning to the source of the story – journalist Isabel ...

Following his resignation in June 2021, he downloaded the records from his phone and shared them with various people, including me. Writing in the Telegraph, she said: “There’s no secret about how I came to be in possession of this communications treasure trove. It is not the first time a row over confidentiality agreements or NDAs has emerged in Westminster.