Matt Hancock, the former Health Secretary of the UK, has been warned by journalist and author Isabel Oakeshott that “nuclear weapon” messages could be deployed if his feud with her escalates.
Oakeshott, who was the ghostwriter of Hancock’s autobiography, leaked 100,000 of his WhatsApp messages to a national newspaper earlier this week.
The messages reveal several details of the UK government’s pandemic response, including information about care homes, schools, and lockdowns.
Hancock has threatened legal action against Oakeshott for breaking a non-disclosure agreement by passing on the information to the media.
However, Oakeshott has warned Hancock not to take action against her, as she has further information that she has not made public.
In what appeared to be a direct threat to Hancock, Oakeshott told him not to attempt to take “the moral high ground,” adding that she was not going to deploy nuclear weapons, but she has them.
Oakeshott has accused Hancock of having sent her a “menacing message” after his WhatsApp messages were first published.
She said that she took action because it was in the public interest. In a statement issued on Thursday, Hancock denied sending her a threatening text but admitted to feeling “betrayal” following her actions.
Hancock added that he was “hugely disappointed and sad at the massive betrayal and breach of trust by Isabel Oakeshott,” and he was sorry for the impact on the many people who worked hard with him to get through the pandemic and save lives. He also denied sending any menacing messages to Oakeshott.
The leaked messages have caused a political uproar in the UK, with several opposition leaders calling for an inquiry into the government’s handling of the pandemic.
The UK government has faced severe criticism for its response to the pandemic, particularly its handling of care homes, and the leaked messages have only added fuel to the fire.
In conclusion, the feud between Matt Hancock and Isabel Oakeshott has taken a turn for the worse, with Oakeshott warning of deploying “nuclear weapon” messages if the situation escalates. The leaked messages have caused a political storm in the UK, with several opposition leaders calling for an inquiry into the government’s pandemic response.
The situation is likely to escalate further in the coming days, with both sides standing firm on their positions.
