The Matt Hancock File

[elbows]

The 'we didnt understand how big a role asymptomatic transmission played' is one of the main excuses that the UK establishment will continue to rely on when seeking to excuse their failings in the first months of the pandemic. I doubt that excuse, and the attempts to pretend that all sorts of stuff only became clear 'with the benefit of hindsight', will go away, it will probably feature in the public inquiry. The UK establishment had already u-turned plenty and adjusted its stance by April 2020, and so thats why clips of Hancock acknowledging it at that time exist. Others may still claim a different timescale to serve their purposes, but many of the worst mistakes were in the January mid March period, and Hancock was in the camp that had managed to move beyond the old establishment thinking on such matters by April, and probably didnt then go on to revert to the old shitty attitudes once 'between the waves' complacency set in that summer, unlike Johnson and many cabinet colleagues.

Its already very well known that the Telegraph, Oakeshott etc have shit views on pandemic restrictions, and its also very well known that UK testing capacity was awful until much later in 2020, and so there was a very awkward period where the ideal policies couldnt actually be implemented. So some of Wednesdays revelations and Telegraph angles were unfair to Hancock and were spun to serve a particular agenda.

In other respects Hancock is obviously a shithead and all manner of people including him will end up looking bad as a result of things they said in these messages. I dont want to take away from that, I just want to point out that certain angles arent fair or dont actually contain major new revelations or things that are inconsistent with what we already knew. But when it comes to the stuff that fairly makes him look like the shit he is, bring it on, just be prepared to have to unspin certain angles.

 

[brogdale]

I half heard on the radio that oakshit was releasing messages unused in her Hancock book; makes you wonder if hancock’s Legal team fucked up the NDA wording?

 

[Supine]

I half heard on the radio that oakshit was releasing messages unused in her Hancock book; makes you wonder if hancock’s Legal team fucked up the NDA wording?

Awful wasn’t she. I think she acknowledged she’d broken it, gambling on him not actioning it / because of the public interest.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I am surprised that Hancock even worked with Oakeshott in the first place, considering her views on lockdowns, etc.

Actually forget that, I am not surprised, because he's somewhat dim-witted.

 

[steveo87]

I am surprised that Hancock even worked with Oakeshott in the first place, considering her views on lockdowns, etc.

Actually forget that, I am not surprised, because he's somewhat dim-witted.

I was going to post something similar (probably with more swearing, tbh).
I do wonder his thought processes are, he can't seriously believe there's any redemption for his reputation.

 

[seeformiles]

The bastards!

UK cat cull was considered early in Covid crisis, ex-minister says

James Bethell says government considered whether all pet cats might have to be put down to contain virus

www.theguardian.com

 

[DotCommunist]

'can I have a front page please'
'yeah no worries, send me some numbers'
talk about politics on easy mode.

 

[philosophical]

If they thought they could get away with culling all the cats that would’ve been the spark for a revolution.
Utter bastards to even think about it.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

Didn't they try the pet culling thing somewhere?
it all seem so long ago now

 

[Karl Masks]

Wow, Oakshot is a properly nasty piece of work. This shouldn't be surprising of course, but still

 

[marty21]

Difficult to have a favourite in this spat

Just heard Isobel Oakeshott being interviewed about releasing these files - she was asked how much she got - she refused to answer leading me to hope that someone else decides it is in the public interest to release the information about how much of a wedge she got for this.

 

[marty21]

I am surprised that Hancock even worked with Oakeshott in the first place, considering her views on lockdowns, etc.

Actually forget that, I am not surprised, because he's somewhat dim-witted.

absolutely! his legacy will be his utter stupidity to trust her.

 

[DaveCinzano]

Difficult to have a favourite in this spat

Shades

 

[danny la rouge]

I am surprised that Hancock even worked with Oakeshott in the first plac

Nobody will again, though.

The BBC website has an article entitled “Who is Isabel Oakeshott?” I haven’t read it but the short version would be “a former ghost writer”.

 

[Petcha]

Piers Morgan actually nails it for once. This is guy who betrayed the families of tens of thousands of people. Betrayed his wife in the most publicly humiliating way possible and betrayed his constituents by skiving off to a reality TV show while he was supposed to be actually working.

 

[poppy60]

Total Bastards for even thinking about killing fur babies,Typical of self centered,thoughtless shit heads.

 

[strung out]

Nobody will again, though.

I wouldn't be so sure - she's done this at least once before and Hancock still agreed to work with her. From that BBC article:

"A vehement supporter of the UK leaving the EU, she helped millionaire and Brexit campaigner Arron Banks write his account of the referendum campaign entitled The Bad Boys of Brexit. During the writing of the book, she was given access to Mr Banks' emails which she later published arguing it was in the public interest to do so."

 

[Petcha]

What are the potential penalties for this woman breaking her NDA?

I mean I've signed loads of them in the past but never actually read them.

 

[danny la rouge]

What are the potential penalties for this woman breaking her NDA?

I mean I've signed loads of them in the past but never actually read them.

You get a text from Matt Hancock at 1:20 am saying “Big mistake. BIG mistake…”

 

[Petcha]

It sounds like she's a massive idiot herself so this could be a fun court battle anyway. Another wagatha christie. Popcorn time, albeit obvs this is a little more serious. But hard to take sides.

 

[2hats]

The bastards!

UK cat cull was considered early in Covid crisis, ex-minister says

James Bethell says government considered whether all pet cats might have to be put down to contain virus

www.theguardian.com

Ironic, given that a cull of the entire Johnson administration would have likely saved many more lives.

 

[oryx]

Imagine wading through 100,000 messages by these clowns.

 

[oryx]

I can't believe anyone with half a brain* would let Oakeshott anywhere near their autobiography after Cameron and the pig's head.
* oh, hang on a minute...

 

[marty21]

Shades

View attachment 365153

is that the legendary Countryside Alliance v the Police

 

[mojo pixy]

What are the potential penalties for this woman breaking her NDA?

I mean I've signed loads of them in the past but never actually read them.

That'll be between her and Handcock so a civil not criminal matter. There is GDPR but he broke that first by giving her the whatsapps so she could write his book for him. She probably has a public interest defence, that seems to be her angle already and it'll probably work. Hancock doesn't have that, his breach of GDPR was for his personal benefit so lol he's fucked if someone decides to prosecute. We can hope, anyway

 

[belboid]

Nah, Hancock got permission to write the book and use the messages before he did so. As an ex-minister he was obliged to (not that they all follow such rule, but...)

 

[mojo pixy]

Nah, Hancock got permission to write the book and use the messages before he did so. As an ex-minister he was obliged to (not that they all follow such rule, but...)

Not necessarily from everyone quoted or included in messages though. I mentioned GDPR because apparently the FDA is muttering darkly about it. I'm keeping optimistic.

 

[Petcha]

I don't know what the point of an NDA was then?

It's gonna be so complicated surely as everyone from Boris to 'Sir' Gavin are implicated. And we're only two days in.

 

[Dogsauce]

Of course IO has just climbed the likeable stakes

Steady on! If she carries on like this she might even climb past Jimmy Savile.

 

[mojo pixy]

I don't know what the point of an NDA was then?

It's gonna be so complicated surely as everyone from Boris to 'Sir' Gavin are implicated. And we're only two days in.

Breaking a NDA can get you sued, and I expect Handcock will sue. But breaking GDPR can get you prosecuted. If he sues for breaking the NDA, she'll probably use Public Interest as a defence. Whether or not that'll work, I have no idea, but it's probably enough to cover her against GDPR. The main point is that Hancock is really dim and didn't think this through at all. It's hilarious