Piers Morgan asked Isabel Oakeshotte an interesting question. The answer makes Hancock look marginally less stupid, and the journalist far worse.
The question asked was whether Ms O had signed a Non Disclosure Agreement in relation to the info supplied to her by Matt H.
She replied that she had signed an NDA. She freely admitted that she had broken the terms of that NDA. She said that she believed this was justified for 2 reasons:-
1. The public interest; and 2. She did not believe that any public inquiry would be anything other than a "whitewash"
Remarkably, she also seems to suggest that Matt Hancock's reaction to all of this means that she no longer considers him to be her friend.
Brave call by whichever Lawyer acting for the newspaper okayed the publication of this...
Surely the sole purpose of an NDA is to withhold information from the general public. Therefore if a public interest defence is permitted, then wouldnt that question whether there was any point of getting an NDA signed in the first place? Would her personal "whitewash" view stand up in court as a defence for breaching the NDA?
Technically, it is not the sole purpose. The person who signs it must receive something in return for it to be effective. Normally money.
In this instance Ms Jokeshite was paid to co-author a book for Matt Handjob. For which, presumably, she was paid lots of money. In any book of this sort, you are very likely to receive info that would be sensitive. You agree not to publish any nasty stuff, in return for being able to earn large amounts of money more effectively. While, of course, promising not to bite the hand that is feeding you.
Public interest defences are notoriously difficult for all concerned. So, for example, some female employee forced to sign an NDA in order to receive some money and a reference after being sacked for refusing to sleep with their boss may be treated rather differently than where the info is directly related to the pay (as here).
I've dealt with a few of these. And I would not like to give any opinion as to how this one will turn out. Although the legal arguments are likely to centre on public interest-not the "whitewash" which is there (IMO) for non-legal reasons.
I would like to see the law changed so that people are entitled to independent legal advice before signing an NDA. To stop what I consider to be appalling abusers of the system stopping people who do stick to agreements receiving money. Because, as you rightly say, no-one is going to give the money for the nda if it doesn't provide protection.
The other thing to consider is that once an NDA is breached the damage is done, and in some cases money will not provide adequate compensation. I suppose our opinions can be coloured by what we think of those involved. In this case it is difficult to choose a side, as one is as bad as the other.
Just to add to your point.
Ms O claims that it is "not about the money". That's easy for her to say. At least, it won't be about her money. If you are acting for a person in H's position, who are you going to sue in what will be a very expensive action? Ms O, who is probably worth a million or 2? Or the Daily Telegraph, that is probably worth a hundred million or 2?
Then there is the fame. Her personal beliefs about the lockdown. And the political ambitions of her partner, Mr Tice. Who would love to join forces with some of the ERG in a new Right Wing Party.
My opinion tends not to be coloured by my opinions of the people concerned. The Law has always interested me more than the people involved. As it happens, I dislike both of them intensely. And I have acted for people far worse than either of them. However much I dislike Hancock, I feel sorry for him in this particular instance.
A cleverer person than Hancock would have taken the trouble to go through the messages, and only sent on those that might be used in the book, and deleted any that were likely to cause embarrassment. All the messages that are hurting his reputation, are not those that were likely to be referred to in his book. A careful person would have done this irrespective of any NDA. Not the sharpest tool. He is likely to be regretting this for a few weeks yet.
True, but 100,000 messages is a lot to scroll through, would take weeks. If he checked 1,000 every day it'd take him over 3 months to check them all.
There was no rush, he sent them on to her to write the book. That presumably took months. He could have got his staff to do it. The alternative is where we are today. If he could turn the clock back, I bet he would do it.
Police hit back at Matt Hancock: Ex-health secretary caused 'huge resentment' among officers, says ex-chief constable after it emerges minister wanted to 'get heavy with the police' over Covid lockdowns rulebreakers
Police hit back at Matt Hancock over calls to 'get heavy' with Covid enforcement The Government must 'get heavy with the police' to make them crack down on lockdown rule-breakers, Matt Hancock (bottom, inset) said during the pandemic. Private WhatsApp messages, revealed yesterday, also disclose how the then health secretary gave officers 'their marching orders' to enforce restrictions to stop the spread of Covid-19. Sir Peter Fahy, the former chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, today said the approach taken by Mr Hancock and other ministers during the pandemic caused 'huge resentment' within the ranks. Derbyshire Police were among the forces to raise eyebrows for their zealous enforcement of lockdown rules, including sharing drone footage of people walking their dogs in the Peak District (left) and fining walkers Jessica Allen and Eliza Moore (bottom right). Also pictured are police stopping drivers at Tynemouth Beach (top right).
Isabel Oakeshott claims relationship with Matt Hancock went sour after he 'vanished' to appear on I'm a Celebrity without telling her he was going
NEW The MP for West Suffolk travelled to Australia in November in the ITV show at a 'critical moment' when the pair were working on his book Pandemic Diaries, Isabel Oakeshott said.
Matt Hancock's team wanted to LOCK UP Nigel Farage after he tweeted a video of himself at a pub when he should have been quarantining, leaked WhatsApp messages reveal
Aides for Matt Hancock asked if they could 'lock up' former UKIP leader 'pub hooligan' Nigel Farage (pictured) in 2020 after he appeared to have broken coronavirus quarantine regulations.
Boris Johnson created Tier 4, ruining Christmas plans for millions, while civil servants were throwing a party in the same building, WhatsApp messages reveal
A No. 10 Christmas party raged on December 18, 2020, less than 24 hours before Boris Johnson raised Covid lockdown measures to Tier 4 and ordered everyone to remain local
'There are plenty of things I can say about his behaviour that I'm not going to do... at least not at this stage': Matt Hancock's co-author Isabel Oakeshott threatens to release MORE embarrassing bombshells for ex-Health Secretary as their war hots up
Isabel Oakeshott today warned that there is 'plenty of things' she can say about Mr Hancock's behaviour 'that I'm not going to do, at least not at this stage'.
Hancock Buried Rising Covid Cases Linked To 'Eat Out To Help Out', Messages Reveal
Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot Matt Hancock admits in this message to Simon Case that he helped cover up rising cases in key areas during Eat Out to Help Out. Strikes me as potentially the biggest revelation yet…
Frankie Boyle tears into Matt Hancock and Keir Starmer on The Last Leg
The messages have prompted yet another backlash against Hancock, with Boyle saying on Friday (3 March): “Even his hairline is trying to disown him.”
He called out Hancock’s decision to appear on ITV series I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, saying that he chose to lie in the ground “surrounded by worms” to try and make the country forget he had “killed their granny”.
How Matt Hancock plotted to have 'useless loudmouth' Covid scientist sacked
Ministers criticised by one of the world’s most eminent scientists tried to have him sacked from the Government’s Covid advisory committee, leaked messages reveal.
Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), was branded “worse than useless” by Matt Hancock who demanded of his permanent secretary: “Can we fire him?”.
He also described Sir Jeremy, now the most eminent scientist with the World Health Organisation (WHO), as “totally offside” and a “complete loudmouth” who “has little respect amongst the serious scientists”.
Sir Jeremy, who was also director of Britain’s biggest medical research charity Wellcome Trust at the time, had publicly questioned the Government’s decision to shut down Public Health England (PHE) in August 2020, about six months into the pandemic.
Sir Jeremy, who took up his new post as the WHO’s chief scientist only last week, had condemned the proposal to scrap PHE in favour of a new organisation run by Mr Hancock’s friend, Baroness Dido Harding, who had run the NHS Test and Trace programme.
Comments
All the messages that are hurting his reputation, are not those that were likely to be referred to in his book.
A careful person would have done this irrespective of any NDA.
Not the sharpest tool.
He is likely to be regretting this for a few weeks yet.
I sort of agree it was daft to hand them all over, but trusting someone is not the world's greatest sin in my book. And of course, hindsight helps...
That presumably took months.
He could have got his staff to do it.
The alternative is where we are today.
If he could turn the clock back, I bet he would do it.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64823096
Also you havent had a whinge about them nearly deciding to kill your cat.
I cant find out how many a Cabinet Minister has.
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/heavy-police-enforce-lockdown-matt-180506023.html
Hancock stated that he was “hugely disappointed” by what he said was a “massive betrayal and breach of trust”.
A post on the official Twitter account of the BBC comedy show Have I Got News for You on Thursday took aim at Hancock over the scandal.
“As Matt Hancock describes leaking of text messages as ‘a massive betrayal’, his ex-wife says she knows the feeling,” the post read.
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/got-team-share-brutal-joke-080203876.html
NEW Simon Case, the UK's top civil servant, asked about how many people were 'locked up' and joked about arrivals being put in 'shoe box' rooms.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11815807/Matt-Hancock-civil-service-joked-travellers-locked-hotels-Covid-lockdown.html
Police hit back at Matt Hancock over calls to 'get heavy' with Covid enforcement
The Government must 'get heavy with the police' to make them crack down on lockdown rule-breakers, Matt Hancock (bottom, inset) said during the pandemic. Private WhatsApp messages, revealed yesterday, also disclose how the then health secretary gave officers 'their marching orders' to enforce restrictions to stop the spread of Covid-19. Sir Peter Fahy, the former chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, today said the approach taken by Mr Hancock and other ministers during the pandemic caused 'huge resentment' within the ranks. Derbyshire Police were among the forces to raise eyebrows for their zealous enforcement of lockdown rules, including sharing drone footage of people walking their dogs in the Peak District (left) and fining walkers Jessica Allen and Eliza Moore (bottom right). Also pictured are police stopping drivers at Tynemouth Beach (top right).
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11815961/Police-hit-Matt-Hancock-calls-heavy-Covid-enforcement.html
Isabel Oakeshott claims relationship with Matt Hancock went sour after he 'vanished' to
appear on I'm a Celebrity without telling her he was going
NEW The MP for West Suffolk travelled to Australia in November in the ITV show at a 'critical moment' when the pair were working on his book Pandemic Diaries, Isabel Oakeshott said.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11815937/Isabel-Oakeshott-claims-relationship-Hancock-went-sour-vanished-Im-Celebrity.html
Matt Hancock's team wanted to LOCK UP Nigel Farage after he tweeted a video of himself at a pub when he should have been quarantining, leaked WhatsApp messages reveal
Aides for Matt Hancock asked if they could 'lock up' former UKIP leader 'pub hooligan' Nigel Farage (pictured) in 2020 after he appeared to have broken coronavirus quarantine regulations.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11813841/Can-lock-Matt-Hancocks-team-considered-action-against-Nigel-Farage.html
Boris Johnson created Tier 4, ruining Christmas plans for millions, while civil servants were throwing a party in the same building, WhatsApp messages reveal
A No. 10 Christmas party raged on December 18, 2020, less than 24 hours before Boris Johnson raised Covid lockdown measures to Tier 4 and ordered everyone to remain local
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11814689/Boris-Johnson-decided-Tier-4-lockdown-measures-civil-servants-partied-building.html
'There are plenty of things I can say about his behaviour that I'm not going to do... at least not at this stage': Matt Hancock's co-author Isabel Oakeshott threatens to release MORE embarrassing bombshells for ex-Health Secretary as their war hots up
Isabel Oakeshott today warned that there is 'plenty of things' she can say about Mr Hancock's behaviour 'that I'm not going to do, at least not at this stage'.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11812407/Matt-Hancocks-author-Isabel-Oakeshott-warns-release-embarrassing-bombshells.html
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/matt-hancock-hoped-covid-could-propel-career-into-next-league-as-virus-hit-china/ar-AA18bxJk?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=8ed2f0df8f444f7d85d065bd823b4926&ei=75
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/bad-pics-messages-show-hancock-223107290.html
Jessica Elgot
@jessicaelgot
Matt Hancock admits in this message to Simon Case that he helped cover up rising cases in key areas during Eat Out to Help Out. Strikes me as potentially the biggest revelation yet…
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/hancock-buried-rising-covid-cases-061837043.html
The messages have prompted yet another backlash against Hancock, with Boyle saying on Friday (3 March): “Even his hairline is trying to disown him.”
He called out Hancock’s decision to appear on ITV series I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, saying that he chose to lie in the ground “surrounded by worms” to try and make the country forget he had “killed their granny”.
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/frankie-boyle-tears-matt-hancock-120519348.html
Ministers criticised by one of the world’s most eminent scientists tried to have him sacked from the Government’s Covid advisory committee, leaked messages reveal.
Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), was branded “worse than useless” by Matt Hancock who demanded of his permanent secretary: “Can we fire him?”.
He also described Sir Jeremy, now the most eminent scientist with the World Health Organisation (WHO), as “totally offside” and a “complete loudmouth” who “has little respect amongst the serious scientists”.
Sir Jeremy, who was also director of Britain’s biggest medical research charity Wellcome Trust at the time, had publicly questioned the Government’s decision to shut down Public Health England (PHE) in August 2020, about six months into the pandemic.
Sir Jeremy, who took up his new post as the WHO’s chief scientist only last week, had condemned the proposal to scrap PHE in favour of a new organisation run by Mr Hancock’s friend, Baroness Dido Harding, who had run the NHS Test and Trace programme.
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/matt-hancock-plotted-useless-loudmouth-170103042.html