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The News Agents

Isabel Oakeshott: Why I did it

The News Agents

Global

News, Daily News, Politics, Government

4.15.4K Ratings

🗓️ 3 March 2023

⏱️ 38 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We talk to the woman who has started a war with Matt Hancock- journalist Isabel Oakeshott. He was her source and she turned on him by taking 100,000 of her Whatsapp messages to The Telegraph. The revelations have gripped Westminster- she tells us there’s more to come. We talk to her about her motivations.

And we talk all things Sue Gray, that once famous woman of Westminster who investigated Boris Johnson and Partygate, off to become…Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff.You can watch our episodes in full at https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/

The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

Transcript

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0:00.0

The Newsagents podcast is brought to you by HSBC UK, opening up a world of opportunity.

0:09.4

This is a global player original podcast.

0:13.0

He should not poke the Hornets nest.

0:15.7

Because there are things that you could say which would be very damaging to him.

0:19.3

Yes.

0:20.2

If you didn't know that voice before this week, well you do now.

0:24.0

That is Isabel Oakeshot, talking to me for this episode about her relationship, such as it now is, with Matt Hancock.

0:31.8

Oakeshots, a political journalist, ghost writer for Hancock's pandemic diaries, and has been behind the story this week

0:38.8

that has gripped Westminster, her publication of stories in the telegraph concerning nearly

0:45.0

100,000 of the former health secretary's WhatsApp messages from during the pandemic period,

0:51.8

which she only had in the first place because he was writing

0:55.5

his book, because they had a relationship of trust. It's a tale which has gripped, yes,

1:02.1

it's a tale which has captivated, yes, for the policy, the reasons for lockdown, COVID rules policy,

1:08.3

government by WhatsApp, but also for the very personal, very brutal

1:12.8

war of words between a journalist and her source, a source burned and spurned. And the woman,

1:20.0

at its heart, Oakshot herself, is with us on the newsagents talking at length about her motivations,

1:26.1

her thinking, her integrity, or some would say, lack

1:29.5

thereof, and how this war might only just be beginning.

1:33.8

It's Lewis here. Welcome to the newsagents.

1:39.6

The news agents.

1:41.4

So we are lucky enough to be joined now by the woman of the moment, I suppose.

1:45.3

The woman of the week, Isabel Oakshot from Talk TV, but she's been writing this story for the

...

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