Matt Hancock

Former health secretary dismisses 'partial, agenda-driven leak' amid fresh scrutiny of key decisions to protect care homes.

This is critical, because Matt was supportive of Chris Whitty’s advice, held a meeting on its deliverability, told it wasn’t deliverable, and insisted on testing all those who came from hospitals.” Oakeshott has been highly critical of the U.K. Labour’s Liz Kendall said to get to the truth there was a need for “more humility and less celebrity” from Hancock, who recently finished third in reality show I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. But Junior Health Minister Helen Whately — who features in some of the leaked texts — came out to bat for Hancock in the Commons Wednesday, arguing that the messages give a “misleading” impression of what went on in 2020. [internal government conversations](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/03/01/nicola-sturgeon-boris-johnson-school-face-mask-row-whatsapp/) about face masks in schools and decisions on “shielding” [ the over-65s](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/03/01/boris-johnson-65s-choice-covid-shielding-whatsapp-messages/). Hancock’s spokesperson accused the paper of “a partial, agenda-driven leak of confidential documents” and said in a statement: “The Telegraph intentionally excluded reference to a meeting with the testing team from the WhatsApp.

The then health secretary expressed concerns that expanding care home testing could get in the way of the 100000 daily COVID test target, according to a ...

What the messages do show is a lot of people working hard to save lives." Get Me Out Of Here!, has already said he will stand down at the next general election. He denies the central claim, that he ignored the advice of Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, to test everyone going into care homes. Care home deaths are widely regarded as one of the biggest scandals of the pandemic response. All those implicated will need to get their arguments ready. Hancock's spokesman is claiming she breached a non-disclosure agreement. "That is why the COVID inquiry is so important, so we have the right preparations in place to meet future threats and challenges." "The Telegraph intentionally excluded reference to a meeting with the testing team from the WhatsApp." Mr Hancock is considering legal action against the Telegraph as his spokesman said claims he rejected clinical advice on care home testing was "flat wrong" because he was told it was "not currently possible" to carry out the tests due to a lack of capacity. [The pandemic year: A timeline of how the COVID outbreak unfolded](https://news.sky.com/story/covid-crisis-the-pandemic-year-and-what-was-happening-behind-the-scenes-12212602) [What it was like in a care home in April 2020](https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-what-it-was-really-like-in-care-homes-as-govt-found-guilty-of-breaking-law-during-early-stages-of-pandemic-12600323) [Former health secretary Matt Hancock will not stand at next election](https://news.sky.com/story/former-health-secretary-matt-hancock-will-not-stand-at-next-election-12763450) He also expressed concerns that expanding care home testing could "get in the way" of the 100,000 daily test target he wanted to hit, the investigation said. The then health secretary expressed concerns that expanding care home testing could get in the way of the 100,000 daily COVID test target, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph, based on messages handed to the paper by the politician's ghost writer 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.

The Telegraph's cache of the former health secretary's WhatsApp messages gives a new perspective on what was really happening inside government at the beginning ...

Hancock and the government have said that the messages published so far only show part of the picture. People in government use WhatsApp for the same reasons as millions of other people – it is quick, efficient and easy to use. This would also help those, like Hancock, who have left government – if all their government work is conducted on a government device, they can hand that back to officials when their tenure ends and be sure that they have discharged their duty to record and protect government information. We can see from the leaked messages that ministers were expected to make decisions rapidly in the early phases of the pandemic. The government needs to show that it is able to manage this new reality, says Tim Durrant This has been the case for some time – Conservative MPs used the messaging app to build coalitions and test ideas during the chaotic Brexit debates of 2016-19 – but the pandemic revealed just how widespread the app’s use has become.

Former health secretary Matt Hancock tried to bypass the education secretary to have schools closed in December 2020, the Daily Telegraph has reported.

The right place for a full assessment is the Inquiry". "I have the utmost respect for teachers who work tirelessly to support students," he wrote. "What a bunch of absolute arses the teaching unions are." And for that we must now fight a rearguard action." He remained as education secretary until September that year, when Mr Johnson reshuffled the cabinet. A spokesperson for Matt Hancock said: "These are partial accounts, obviously spun with an agenda. Mr Hancock asked advisers to look into the issue but was told that the policy had been "written and distributed and schools prepared" and that it would be "difficult to unpick now". just by his body language", Mr Hancock's aide, Emma Dean, wrote. A vocal critic of lockdowns, Ms Oakeshott obtained them while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries. "He's freaking out. In a statement, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said the "sneering exchange" showed "an appalling lack of respect for teachers". Sir Gavin said he wanted to make sure the PPE was provided so that schools "can't use [the shortfall] as a reason not to open" and that some would want to use it as "an excuse to avoid having to teach".

Former health secretary says he is 'hugely disappointed' with journalist who gave messages to Telegraph.

Speaking to Today, Oakeshott said: “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. 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. Responding to his statement that there was no public interest case for the leaks, Oakeshott told TalkTV: “What a ridiculous defence. Addressing her decision not to reveal them until after she had finished working for Hancock, she said: “My responsibilities, having finished that book with him, are now to the public interest.” “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. In a statement, Hancock said: “I am hugely disappointed and sad at the massive betrayal and breach of trust by Isabel Oakeshott.

Messages from his time as health secretary during the pandemic were leaked to the Daily Telegraph by the ghost writer of his book.

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. 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. I have the utmost respect for teachers who work tirelessly to support students. (See 9.42am.) In an interview with LBC, Gibb said people sometimes '“in the heat of the moment” say things on WhatsApp “they don’t really believe”. Gavin’s own wife is a primary school teacher – I’ve worked with Gavin for two years; I know he holds teachers in the highest regard. While about as many people have a favourable view of the leader of the opposition (37%) as the prime minister, fewer people dislike him (48%). Among Tory voters, the proportion with a favourable view of the PM is up seven points from 50% to 57%, while among Labour voters it is up from 12% to 19%. His ratings (based on responses to the question “do you have a favourable or unfavourable opinion of X”) are still lower than Keir Starmer’s, but they are a lot better than his party’s. More than four in ten leave voters (43%) now have a positive opinion of the prime minister, up from 38%, while among remain voters the increase has been from 25% to 32%. This morning Matt Hancock has for the first time responded directly to the story. I’ll try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. I am hugely disappointed and sad at the massive betrayal and breach of trust by Isabel Oakeshott.

In leaked WhatsApp messages, Mr Hancock said Sir Gavin Williamson was battling "tooth and nail" to keep schools in England open, a move he disagreed with. Other ...

"I have the utmost respect for teachers who work tirelessly to support students. "What a bunch of absolute arses the teaching unions are." And for that we must now fight a rear-guard action." We hadn't got vaccines." Day by day, new evidence was emerging as the scientists were learning about this virus." Mr Hancock asked advisers to look into the issue but was told that the policy had been "written and distributed and schools prepared" and that it would be "difficult to unpick now". He remained as education secretary until September 2021 when Mr Johnson reshuffled his cabinet. just by his body language," Mr Hancock's aide, Emma Dean, wrote. "He's freaking out. In an exchange on 1 January, as the number of Covid cases continued to rise, Mr Hancock described Sir Gavin as having had to eat "a lot of humble pie". A vocal critic of coronavirus lockdowns, Ms Oakeshott obtained them while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries. He also complained he was the victim of a "massive betrayal and breach of trust" by Ms Oakeshott, and said he was sorry for the impact on political colleagues, civil servants and friends "who worked hard with me to get through the pandemic and save lives".

Former health secretary Matt Hancock has issued a lengthy statement after the leaking of thousands of WhatsApp messages that were sent and received during ...

In her first interview after the messages were published, she said: "The public interest is overwhelming. 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. He said: "Last night, I was accused of sending menacing messages to Isabel. 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. The MP said: "I am hugely disappointed and sad at the massive betrayal and breach of trust by Isabel Oakeshott. As we have seen, releasing them in this way gives a partial, biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda."

Former U.K. health chief denies sending “menacing” text to journalist Isabel Oakeshott. BRITAIN-POLITICS-HEALTH-VIRUS.

government decided to introduce face masks into English schools after a top adviser told then-PM Boris Johnson it wasn’t “worth an argument” with the Scottish government, which had already acted to introduce masks in schools. The texts suggest that Williamson was privately critical of teaching unions [and claimed](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/03/01/gavin-williamson-whatsapp-message-teachers-work-pandemic/) they “hate work.” And he knows that very well.” Hancock denied that charge. Oakeshott has been highly critical of the U.K. [second op-ed](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/03/02/isabel-oakeshott-lockdown-files-leak-schools-pandemic-matt-hancock/) and string of media appearances Thursday, Oakeshott accused her former co-author Hancock of sending her a “menacing” and “threatening” message in the early hours of the morning after the Telegraph published its first story on the leak.

Former UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock was involved in a bitter behind-the-scenes clash with then-education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson over moves to ...

And for that we must now fight a rear-guard action.” “Looking back now, I wonder whether I should have resigned at that point. I certainly thought long and deeply over whether I should have gone then. Just by his body language.” At the end of the meeting, Mr Hancock said: “I want to find a way, Gavin having won the day, of actually preventing a policy car crash when the kids spread the disease in January. He said they needed to fight a “rear-guard action” to prevent a “policy car crash” when children returned to the classrooms and started spreading the disease.

Journalist Isabel Oakeshott says it was in the "national interest" to publish ex-health secretary's texts.

Ms Oakeshott has strongly defended her decision to release the messages saying she was someone "acting in the overwhelming national interest". She was given copies of the texts while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries. It wasn't a pleasant message." Isabel repeatedly reiterated the importance of trust throughout, and then broke that trust." Here are our stories on the leaks: Pressed on the claim that Mr Hancock sent her a menacing message following the leaks, Ms Oakeshott said: "I'm saying that he sent me a message at 01.20 in the morning. Mr Hancock has already given a partial account of his time as health secretary, with the help of Ms Oakeshott, in his book, Pandemic Diaries. It began publishing the texts earlier this week. At Prime Minister's Questions, Rishi Sunak defended the public inquiry as the "right way" to scrutinise the handling of the pandemic and urged people not to focus on "piecemeal bits of information". Nothing more." "I wanted to get to the truth of it," she said. However, Mr Hancock said the messages were released in a "biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda".