Matt Hancock's over 1 lakh WhatsApp texts leaked, claim reports. Check details

Matt Hancock is being confronted with multiple accusations stemming from a leaked trove of over 100,000 WhatsApp messages that shed light on the UK government's operations during the peak of the pandemic, according to reports.

According to allegations, during his tenure as Health Secretary, Hancock disregarded recommendations from England's Chief Medical Officer, Prof Sir Chris Whitty, to test all individuals entering care homes in England for Covid-19.

Hancock has refuted the accusation that he disregarded clinical guidance, with his spokesperson describing it as "categorically untrue", as per the reports.


According to leaked WhatsApp messages, England's Chief Medical Officer, Prof Sir Chris Whitty, recommended to Health Secretary Matt Hancock in April 2020 that there should be Covid-19 testing for all individuals entering care homes in England.

Hancock acknowledged the recommendation as a "good positive step" but ultimately rejected it, opting instead for mandatory testing only for those coming from hospitals.

In the leaked messages, Hancock stated that he would rather "leave out" the commitment to test everyone entering care homes from the community as it would "muddies the waters."

Matt Hancock has responded to the claim that he rejected clinical advice on care home testing by stating that it is "flat wrong". According to his spokesperson, Hancock was told that it was not currently possible to carry out testing for everyone entering care homes, which led to the U-turn in policy.

The spokesperson added that the decision to only test those coming from hospitals was made following an operational meeting where it was advised that it was not feasible to test everyone entering care homes.

The Daily Telegraph obtained over 100,000 WhatsApp messages exchanged between Matt Hancock and other officials during the pandemic. Journalist Isabel Oakeshott, who has been critical of lockdowns, provided the messages to the newspaper.

Oakeshott had received copies of the texts while assisting Hancock in writing his book, Pandemic Diaries. In response to accusations that the messages were "spun to fit an anti-lockdown agenda," Oakeshott stated that she released the messages because it could take many years for the official Covid inquiry to conclude, which she claimed could result in a "colossal whitewash."

FAQs

Q1.Which political party is Matt Hancock associated with?
Tory

Q2.When did Matt Hancock step down from Health Secretary position?
June 26, 2021