Hancock messages claimed Sunak would have pressured Johnson' to avoid lockdown
Matt Hancock accuses Rishi Sunak of pressuring Boris Johnson against an autumn lockdown in 2020, potentially hindering efforts to control the spread of COVID-19.
Simon Case's response suggests that Sunak favored tighter controls in schools rather than closing all shops. [ more ]
Indefensible': Michael Gove apologises for Tory HQ Partygate video
Michael Gove has apologised for a new Partygate video that shows Conservative officials dancing and laughing as they broke Covid lockdown rules, deeming their actions terrible and indefensible.The video, obtained by the Mirror newspaper, shows members of staff drinking alcohol at the gathering in London on 14 December 2020, and mocking lockdown rules the public were following at the time.
Former health secretary Matt Hancock was found to have breached Parliament's rules by trying to influence an inquiry into Conservative MP Steve Brine.After the Standards Committee called for him to apologise for a "minor breach", he said he was "happy to do so".The West Suffolk MP, now sitting as an independent, told the Commons the committee had "found that I did not seek to break the rules, had no prospect of personal gain and acted without malice".
Matt Hancock ordered to apologise to MPs for breach of lobbying rules
Matt Hancock has been ordered to apologise by parliament's sleaze watchdog after it found he broke House of Commons rules by trying to lobby an official investigating another Conservative MP for lobbying.The former health secretary, who sits as an independent, having been stripped of the Tory whip, was found to have committed only a mild breach of the rules.
Covid inquiry threatened legal action over Boris Johnson WhatsApp messages
The official public inquiry into the government's handling of Covid threatened the Cabinet Office with legal action over its refusal to share Boris Johnson's WhatsApp messages and diaries from during the pandemic without heavy redactions.The inquiry issued a legal notice on 28 April 2023 requesting unredacted WhatsApp communications on devices owned or used by Johnson and his former senior adviser Henry Cook, a close friend of Carrie Johnson's who has now left government.
Andrew Bridgen becomes first Reclaim MP after expulsion from Tories
The MP Andrew Bridgen has announced he is joining Laurence Fox's Reclaim party after being kicked out of the Conservative party for comparing Covid vaccines to the Holocaust.The member for North West Leicestershire announced the move, which makes him Reclaim's first MP, at an event on Wednesday morning where he said he had felt like a prisoner while following the Tory whip.
Matt Hancock expected to hit back at critics in evidence to Covid inquiry live
Matt Hancock is appearing at the Covid inquiry and is expected to defend his actions during the early stages of the pandemic.
Hancock's allies believe he will argue that his efforts to raise awareness about Covid were ignored by Boris Johnson and his team.
Senior Whitehall figures claim that Hancock and his officials were dismissed and ridiculed when they tried to raise the alarm about the danger of Covid-19. [ more ]
Under-fire Matt Hancock to give evidence before Covid inquiry
Matt Hancock expected to defend his performance as health secretary during the pandemic before the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
Witnesses have criticized Hancock's approach and called for his removal, including the former senior civil servant Lord Sedwill and former top Number 10 adviser Dominic Cummings.
Andy Burnham accused Hancock of imposing ineffective Tier 3 restrictions on Greater Manchester and administering a punishment beating for the city. [ more ]
Cove to give evidence as Covid inquiry told Hancock knew lockdown tiers wouldn't work
Former health secretary Matt Hancock knew that Tier 3 lockdown restrictions would not work when he imposed them on Greater Manchester.
The tier system implemented in October 2020 was unable to contain the spread of Covid-19 and led to a month-long national lockdown in November followed by stricter tiers in December.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove is set to give evidence at the Covid-19 inquiry. [ more ]
Heatwave piles torpor on paralysis as Tories face up to their doom | John Crace
A zombie parliament is gonna zombie.All across Westminster, almost nothing stirs.MPs sleep in their offices to escape the mid-day sun.Ministers collapse with exhaustion after being asked to recite Rishi Sunak's five priorities.Far too knackered to even dream of doing anything about them.Not that anyone would notice.
Former Tory MP sues Matt Hancock over claims Covid vaccines tweet was antisemitic'
Andrew Bridgen has formally begun a libel action against Matt Hancock following a row over a tweet.After Mr Bridgen tweeted that the Covid-19 vaccination programme was the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust, the former health secretary described his comments as disgusting and dangerous antisemitic, anti-vax, anti-scientific conspiracy theories.
Bridgen sues Hancock over claims tweet was antisemitic'
Andrew Bridgen has formally begun a libel action against Matt Hancock following a row over a tweet.After Mr Bridgen tweeted that the Covid-19 vaccination programme was the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust, the former health secretary described his comments as disgusting and dangerous antisemitic, anti-vax, anti-scientific conspiracy theories.
Psycho' Raab struggles to contain his rage during prime minister's questions | John Crace
No more Mr Nice Guy.Rishi Sunak has always been keen to project himself as a thoroughly decent bloke.The sort of man even his opponents can trust.Someone who keeps his word.But bit by bit that mask is peeling off.On Wednesday he revealed himself to be an out and out sadist.How else can you explain the decision to leave Dominic Psycho Raab in post as his deputy and then skip off to Betty Boothroyd's funeral, leaving Psycho to step up for prime minister's questions?
Minister wouldn't pay Matt Hancock 10,000' after MP caught in fake company sting
Matt Hancock is not worth 10,000 a day, according to a minister and Tory colleague of the former health secretary.Chris Philp, policing minister, said the sight of Mr Hancock and other senior Conservatives offering to advise a fake Korean company for enormous daily sums was pretty unedifying.He was speaking as new footage was released of Sir Graham Brady, chair of the influential 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, telling an activist posing as an employee of Hanseong Consulting that he would work for around 500 an hour.
Hancock and Kwarteng offer to work for fake Korean company for 10,000 a day
Matt Hancock and Kwasi Kwarteng were among MPs who agreed to work for thousands of pounds per day for a fake South Korean firm after being apparently duped by campaign group Led by Donkeys.The former health secretary and chancellor were both caught on camera naming a day rate for work, with Mr Kwarteng adding that he would expect to be reimbursed for his travel but would not expect a king's ransom.
Matt Hancock shoulder-barged and left shaken up' by anti-vaxxer, court hears
Matt Hancock was shoulder-barged and left shaken up by an anti-vaccination protester who accused him of murdering people during the coronavirus pandemic, a court has heard.Geza Tarjanyi, 62, of Leyland in Lancashire, who has denied causing harassment without violence to the former health secretary, is accused of shouting ridiculous conspiracy theories on two separate occasions on January 19 and 24.
Matt Hancock has been told to apologise to Parliament after being found to have breached the MPs Code of Conduct.The former health secretary was found to have committed a minor breach of Commons rules by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.The Committee on Standards said Mr Hancock showed a lack of attention to the rules that was concerning for a former minister and MP of more than a decade.
Who were in the WhatsApp groups Boris Johnson and ministers used to fight Covid?
Crucial decisions during the pandemic were made using WhatsApp groups made up of ministers and officials, it has emerged.The government set up numerous channels on the messaging app for figures including Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock and Dominic Cummings.Other key players in the groups were Mr Johnson's communications chief Lee Cain, chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance.
Covid WhatsApps used for coffee orders not big decisions, says ex-health minister
Government WhatsApp groups were never used to make important decisions during Covid and instead relayed information and discussed coffee orders, a former health minister has argued.James Bethell, a hereditary peer whose role involved the awarding of Covid contracts, said he supported the government's legal attempt to limit the amount of information handed to the official inquiry into the pandemic, as otherwise people would be asked to hand over messages that you wouldn't reasonably be happy with.
Steve Brine breached rules when lobbying ministers in pandemic, watchdog finds
A leading Conservative MP and former health minister did not properly declare his second job for a health recruitment firm when lobbying Matt Hancock and Michael Gove during the pandemic, the standards watchdog has found.Steve Brine, the chair of the Commons health committee, was found to have breached the rules twice by failing to declare in his approaches to cabinet ministers in early 2021 that he was a paid strategic adviser to Remedium Partners, a recruitment firm offering doctors for free to the NHS.
Tory MP Steve Brine faces lobbying questions after Hancock message leak
A senior Conservative MP has been urged to stand down as chair of parliament's health select committee after a leak of text messages exchanged with Matt Hancock sparked questions about whether he broke lobbying rules.According to the leaked messages from 2021, Steve Brine, a former health minister, said had been trying for months during the Covid pandemic to liaise with the NHS to hire anaesthetists through a recruitment company he worked for.
Hancock battling claims over Covid-19 care home testing after WhatsApp leak
Matt Hancock is fighting claims he rejected advice while health secretary to give coronavirus tests to all residents going into English care homes.The allegations are based on a leaked trove of more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages obtained by the Daily Telegraph giving an insight into the way government operated at the height of the Covid-19 crisis.
UK cat cull was considered early in Covid crisis, ex-minister says
The UK government considered whether it might have to ask people to exterminate all pet cats during the early days of the Covid pandemic, a former health minister said.It was unclear whether domestic cats could transmit coronavirus, James Bethell said.He told Channel 4 News: What we shouldn't forget is how little we understood about this disease.
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight The Friday papers are dominated by revelations from the public inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing.The Daily Mirror, The Independent and i report MI5 boss Ken McCallum issued an apology after the review into the May 2017 atrocity found it might have been prevented if MI5 had acted more swiftly on a piece of intelligence received in the months before.
U.K. Government Refuses to Give Boris Johnson's Texts to Covid Inquiry
The British government refused on Thursday to hand over former Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Covid-era text messages to a committee investigating the handling of the pandemic, setting off a legal battle that could become a political headache for the current prime minister, Rishi Sunak.The government's Cabinet Office faced a deadline of 4 p.m. to turn over unredacted text messages, diaries and notebooks belonging to Mr. Johnson.
Court hangs over ex-PM if WhatsApps not handed over, Covid Inquiry warns latest
Jump to content Sign up to our newslettersSubscribe News Sports Voices Culture Lifestyle Travel Premium NewsUKUK Politics Maryam Zakir-Hussain Tuesday 30 May 2023 10:40Comments Close Boris Johnson refuses to say who is trying to stitch him up' over lockdown rule breaking The government has just a few hours to hand over Boris Johnson's messages and diaries before it faces being dragged to court by its own Covid-19 inquiry.
Ministers accused of cover up' over refusal to hand over Boris Johnson's WhatsApps
Pressure on Rishi Sunak to reveal Boris Johnson's WhatsApp messages during the Covid crisis mounted today as an ex-mandarin accused the government of a cover up.Lord Kerslake, the former head of the civil service, backed demands for the Cabinet Office to drop its refusal to hand over Mr Johnson's unredacted Whatsapps to the official Covid inquiry.
Richard Sharp is out at the BBC: now can we think about how we hold other miscreants to account? | Simon Jenkins
What have the now former chair of the BBC, the Labour veteran Diane Abbott and the ousted chancellor Nadhim Zahawi all got in common?Indeed, what do they share with Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab and Matt Hancock?The answer is that they have all been accused of things that so upset people as to cause them to lose or risk losing their jobs.
Matt Hancock: Leaked messages suggest plan to frighten public
Matt Hancock suggested to an aide that they "frighten the pants off everyone" about Covid, messages published by the Sunday Telegraph show.It appears the former health secretary discussed when to reveal the existence of the Kent variant of Covid to ensure people complied with lockdown rules.
End ghoulish spectacle': Starmer attacks Hancock over leaked Covid messages
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Keir Starmer has attacked Matt Hancock for portraying himself as a hero during the Covid crisis, as the former Tory health secretary battles claims he rejected advice to tests care homes residents.
Minister rejects claim Matt Hancock ignored advice on Covid testing
A minister has dismissed claims that Matt Hancock ignored scientific advice over Covid tests for care homes.Helen Whately, the care minister, claimed selective snippets of leaked WhatsApp messages were misleading.She acknowledged there was a limited quantity of tests at the start of the coronavirus outbreak but said the government had been confronted with tough decisions about who to prioritise for them.
Jacob Rees-Mogg: I did not ask for Covid test to be couriered to my home
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Jacob Rees-Mogg has admitted a Covid test was couriered to his house for one of his children by health officials during the pandemic, but said he did not ask for it.As part of the leak of Matt Hancock's WhatsApp messages to the Telegraph, the paper reported that in September 2020 an adviser to the then health secretary helped get a test sent to Mr Rees-Mogg's home even as others across the country struggled to access testing.
Williamson said teaching unions hate work' in message to Hancock
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Former education secretary Gavin Williamson said teachers really do just hate work in a message to Matt Hancock, according to the latest leaked messages.Mr Hancock, then health secretary, was also involved in a bitter behind-the-scenes clash with Sir Gavin over moves to keep schools open during the Covid pandemic.
Black teases Raab on pay when he is 'booted out of office'
SNP's deputy Westminster leader asked the deputy prime minister after a fake firm offered paid work to Matt Hancock and Kwasi Kwarteng.Mhairi Black asked Dominic Raab what pay rate he would be looking for when he is "inevitably booted out of office", a reference to a report on bullying claims made against him.
Matt Hancock and Kwasi Kwarteng discussed fees with fake firm
Matt Hancock and Kwasi Kwarteng agreed to work for a fake South Korean company for £10,000 a day, footage from a campaign group appears to show.In a sting operation set up by Led By Donkeys, the ex-health secretary and ex-chancellor discussed rates to advise the sham firm, the Observer reported.
Tory chair of health committee investigated over NHS lobbying claims
The Conservative MP who chairs the Commons health and social care committee is under investigation over allegations that he lobbied the NHS and ministers on behalf of a recruitment firm that employed him.Steve Brine, a former health minister, was put under investigation by parliament's standards commissioner over paid advocacy and declaration of an interest.
The TikTok MPs who now can't use it on government phones
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Political TikTok hounds can breathe a sigh of relief Tory minister Grant Shapps has confirmed he will not be leaving the app after the government banned its use on official devices.
Camilla Queen Consort arrives at Cheltenham Ladies' Day
Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Queen Consort Camilla has arrived on the morning of day two of the annual racing event Cheltenham Festival.The 75-year-old, who is an honorary member of the Jockey Club, dressed for the occasion in a wool camel-coloured coat and a hat with a fur trim.
Hancock claims texts showing he ignored Covid care home advice were doctored'
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Former health secretary Matt Hancock has disputed claims that he rejected expert advice on Covid tests for people going into England's care homes at the start of the pandemic and claims his text messages have been doctored'.
Matt Hancock hits out at Isabel Oakeshott in first statement since WhatsApp leak
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Matt Hancock has broken his silence after Whatsapp messages were leaked to the Daily Telegraph by journalist Isabel Oakeshott.Ms Oakeshott is the journalist behind the leak of more than 100,000 of Mr Hancock's Whatsapp messages.
Give jobs to people with superpowers' like me, Matt Hancock tells London businesses
L ondon firms have been challenged by former Health Secretary Matt Hancock to recruit more people with a hidden superpower such as dyslexia.Mr Hancock, who was diagnosed with dyslexia at university and took part in ITV's I'm A Celebrity in part to promote awareness of the condition, was speaking at a Neurodiversity in Business conference in London on Thursday.
Three-quarters of London schools hit as teachers strike again
T hree-quarters of London schools were estimated to be closed entirely or partially on Thursday as teachers again went on strike.Members of the National Education Union in the capital, South-East and South-West are protesting over pay.Parents have been warned that the worst is yet to come, with further walkouts planned for March 15 and 16 as well as more teachers joining unions.
Misplaced breathing tube contributed to death of first UK child Covid victim, coroner rules
A misplaced breathing tube contributed to the death of a 13-year-old boy who became the UK's first known child victim of coronavirus, a coroner has ruled.Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, of Brixton, south-west London, died of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), caused by Covid-19 pneumonia, in the early hours of March 30 2020, three days after testing positive for the coronavirus.
In WhatsApp world, everyone can hear you scream | Andrew Anthony
In modern communications, emails can be the digital equivalents of scribbled notes all lower case and poor punctuation or pedantic official documents, depending on context and recipients.But the key thing is that the prose is always deathless.That's a rule that Tucker Carlson, a major Donald Trump supporter, is probably reckoning with at the moment.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Here are some of the key statistics from Rishi Sunak's reshuffle of the Cabinet: Lucy Frazer is the 12th person to be appointed culture secretary in the past 13 years.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Boris Johnson has been handed a 2.5m advance for speaking gigs as he boosted his mammoth earnings since being booted out of No 10.It takes the former prime minister's outside income in the past 12 months to almost 5m, on top of the 84,000 salary he still receives as a backbench MP.
Tory moderate leader Damian Green rejected as election candidate
Senior Conservative moderate Damian Green has been rejected as the party's candidate for the newly created Weald of Kent constituency.Mr Green chairman of the One Nation caucus who was effectively deputy prime minister under Theresa May said he was disappointed not to have been selected.I am now thinking about what to do next and how I can best continue to work for the people of Ashford and support the government, he said on Twitter.
Ex-Health Secretary Matt Hancock has accused a journalist of a "massive betrayal and breach of trust" after she leaked texts he sent during Covid.Isabel Oakeshott defended releasing WhatsApps she obtained when working on Mr Hancock's book, arguing it was in the "overwhelming national interest".
Steve Brine: Tory MP faces calls for probe into lobbying claims
Opposition parties are calling for Tory MP Steve Brine to be investigated over claims he lobbied the NHS on behalf of a recruitment firm.Leaked messages from 2021 show he had been "trying for months" to contact health bosses on behalf of Remedium Partners, where he was a paid adviser.The texts show the company wanted to supply the NHS with anaesthetists.
Matt Hancock sets up TV company after I'm a Celebrity stint
Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Former health secretary Matt Hancock has set up his own TV company after appearances on two reality TV shows.The West Suffolk MP, who lost the Tory whip over his appearance on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!, has already said he will stand down at the next general election.
Matt Hancock under pressure after claims he ignored Covid care home testing advice
More than 100,000 private WhatsApp messages involving Matt Hancock at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic have been leaked, including claims he dismissed expert advice to test anyone entering a care home for coronavirus at the start of the pandemic.The former health secretary has issued a strong denial to the investigation by the Daily Telegraph, saying the private messages were stolen and the interpretation of the messages was categorically untrue.
Jacob Rees-Mogg got Covid test couriered during shortage, messages suggest
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Jacob Rees-Mogg had a Covid test for his son couriered to his home while there was severe national backlog, leaked WhatsApp messages suggest.An adviser to Matt Hancock helped get a test sent out to the senior Tory then Commons leader in September 2020, according to The Telegraph.
Matt Hancock: What are claims and counterclaims over leaked Covid messages?
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Former health secretary Matt Hancock is fighting claims he rejected advice while health secretary to give Covid tests to all residents going into English care homes.The allegations are based on a trove of more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages obtained by The Daily Telegraph giving an insight into the way government operated at the height of the pandemic.
Covid inquiry chair rejects journalist's fear of colossal whitewash'
The Covid-19 public inquiry's chair has insisted the investigation will not be a whitewash, after a journalist claimed that concern over its integrity had prompted her to publish private messages shared with her by Matt Hancock.Heather Hallett delivered an implicit rebuke to Isabel Oakeshott after Oakeshott leaked 100,000 WhatsApp messages involving the former health secretary from the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which are claimed to show he dismissed expert advice to test anyone entering a care home for coronavirus.
Failure to step up Covid testing capacity in England left care homes exposed
In the early days of the pandemic, ministers believed and told the public the UK was at the forefront of Covid testing.The government's scientific advisers appeared to share the view and were perhaps even a factor in its widespread belief.At the first Sage meeting in January 2020, the assembled experts said a Covid test would be ready within days and that it could be scalable across the UK in weeks.
Spent Sunak and scattergun Starmer off their game in autopilot PMQs | John Crace
It's been a busy few days for a prime minister who prefers to stay hidden indoors.On Monday, he had had his Windsor tryst with Ursula von der Leyen.Quelle tendresse!The brush of elbows under the portrait of the queen.The lingering glances across the lectern.The sweet riens.You're the best.No, no.You're the best.
Gavin Williamson said teaching unions just hate work' during Covid pandemic
Teachers complained about a lack of PPE in order to have an excuse not to teach, Gavin Williamson said in a leaked WhatsApp chat, commenting later that some teaching unions really do just hate work.In new leaked WhatsApp messages from the Telegraph's investigation, Matt Hancock, the then health secretary, was asked by Williamson, who was the education secretary, to help unblock school requests for protective equipment if a child became ill at school as classrooms prepared to reopen after the first lockdown.
Journalist claims Matt Hancock sent her menacing' messages over WhatsApp leak
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email The journalist behind the leak of tens of thousands messages that Matt Hancock sent during the pandemic has claimed the former health secretary sent her a menacing message after their publication.
Hancock in clash over schools opening during Covid, according to leak
Matt Hancock was involved in a bitter behind-the-scenes clash with 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.The paper highlighted an exchange between Mr Hancock, the then health secretary, and one of his aides from December 2020 after Sir Gavin persuaded Boris Johnson that schools in England should reopen as planned at the start of the January term.
Teachers say Gavin Williamson pandemic texts reveal secret contempt'
Teaching unions have reacted with fury to leaked texts sent by the former education secretary Gavin Williamson at the height of the Covid pandemic, saying they reveal the UK government's secret contempt for teachers.Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said the exchange between Williamson and the then health secretary, Matt Hancock, exposed the chaos and duplicity at the heart of government.
Was Isabel Oakeshott wrong to leak Matt Hancock's WhatsApps? Time will tell | David Banks
Every journalist has been there: you're at a dinner party, you meet someone for the first time, they ask you what you do and when you tell them, it's all Ha ha ha, a reporter?I'd better watch what I say.This is all off the record!The secrets of Derek from accounts will remain secret, of course, unless perhaps, he has made the mistake of having a tete-a-tete with Isabel Oakeshott.
Isabel Oakeshott says she fell out with Hancock over I'm a Celebrity trip
Isabel Oakeshott has said her relationship with Matt Hancock soured after he abandoned her in the middle of writing their book in order to appear on I'm a Celebrity.As she faced ethical questions over her decision to breach her non-disclosure agreement with Hancock and take his WhatsApp messages to the Daily Telegraph, Oakeshott said she chose the newspaper for ideological reasons, because it pushed back against lockdown during the pandemic.
Hancock hugely disappointed and sad' after WhatsApp messages sent to newspaper
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Matt Hancock said he is victim of a massive betrayal and breach of trust after the disclosure of WhatsApp messages revealing the inside working of government during the coronavirus crisis.
Matt Hancock calls Isabel Oakeshott WhatsApp messages leak massive betrayal'
Matt Hancock has said he is hugely disappointed by what he described as a massive betrayal and breach of trust by Isabel Oakeshott, who gave WhatsApp messages from his time as health secretary to the Daily Telegraph.Oakeshott was given the WhatsApp exchanges by Hancock while they were collaborating on a book about the pandemic.
Isabel Oakeshott: The reporter Matt Hancock trusted with 100,000 Whatsapp messages
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Matt Hancock is not the first politician to have reason to question having placed his trust in Isabel Oakeshott, the journalist at the centre of the Covid Whatsapp leak.The reporter turned writer has courted controversy before, by revealing information with far reaching consequences.
Teaching unions brand Williamson remarks contemptible' after WhatsApp leak
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Teaching unions have hit out at contemptible comments by Sir Gavin Williamson, after leaked messages showed the then education secretary appearing to accuse staff of looking for an excuse not to work during the Covid pandemic.
Misplaced breathing tube contributed to UK's first child Covid death, coroner finds
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email A misplaced breathing tube contributed to the death of a 13-year-old boy who became the UK's first known child victim of coronavirus, a coroner has found.Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, of Brixton, south-west London, died of acute respiratory distress syndrome, caused by Covid-19 pneumonia, in the early hours of March 30 2020, three days after testing positive for coronavirus.
Isabel Oakeshott says Hancock leaks in public interest' despite criticism
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Isabel Oakeshott has said she makes no apology whatsoever for acting in the national interest over her disclosure of Matt Hancock's WhatsApp messages.The journalist, who is at the centre of a row about the leak of the former health secretary's correspondence to the Daily Telegraph, hit back at Mr Hancock's criticism of her actions.
Misplaced breathing tube contributed to death' of first UK child Covid victim
A misplaced breathing tube contributed to the death of a 13-year-old boy who became the UK's first known child victim of coronavirus, a coroner has ruled.Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, of Brixton, south-west London, died of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), caused by Covid-19 pneumonia, in the early hours of March 30 2020, three days after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Matt Hancock's WhatsApp messages: what he said v Covid context
With lockdowns and enforced distancing a fading memory for many, and masks a relatively rare sight, it can be tricky to view the revelations from a horde of Covid-era government messages in the context of the time in which they were sent.Below are five stories from the 100,000-plus WhatsApps passed by Matt Hancock to the journalist Isabel Oakeshott, who handed them on to the Daily Telegraph, and a reminder of where the UK was, clinically and politically, amid the progress of the pandemic.
Boris breaks silence to deliver lacklustre critique of Rishi's deal | John Crace
There has been one conspicuous absence in the Commons in recent days.Well, two.Though no one counts Liz Truss any more.She has been airbrushed out of the Tory party's history.Just a 40bn hole in the UK finances.Boris Johnson is a different matter.It was he who won the Conservatives an 80-seat majority in the 2019 election by promising to Get Brexit done.
Hancock wanted to get heavy with police to enforce lockdown'
Matt Hancock discussed how the government should get heavy with the police to enforce Covid lockdown rules, leaked WhatsApp messages have revealed.The then-health secretary, Boris Johnson and other top officials gave senior police officers their marching orders at a meeting just after the third national lockdown began in January 2021.
Necessary to get heavy with police' over Covid lockdown, Matt Hancock said
Matt Hancock told Britain's most senior civil servant they would need to get heavy with the police in order to enforce lockdown rules during the Covid pandemic, leaked messages have revealed.WhatsApp correspondence from a Daily Telegraph investigation shows how Hancock and Simon Case feared that officers were not doing enough to stop people from breaking the rules in August 2020.
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Thursday's newspapers continue to cover the Government's small boats Bill after it emerged the EU has concerns it could breach human rights laws.