Matt Hancock has denied claims that he has rejected advice to provide coronavirus tests to all residents going to English nursing homes, labeling them a “distorted bill” that is “spinned to fit an anti-lockdown agenda”.
A Daily Telegraph investigation based on a leaked trove of more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages alleges that the then health secretary ignored Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, and instead prioritized testing those discharged from hospital to nursing homes. elderly.
The MP denied the “distorted account”, with a spokesman claiming that messages leaked by journalist Isabel Oakeshott after she worked on her memoir Pandemic Diaries were “rotated to suit an anti-lockdown agenda”.
The Telegraph’s investigation claims that Whitty told Hancock in April 2020 that there should be tests for “everyone going into nursing homes”.
But the messages suggest that Hancock rejected the guidance, telling an aide that the measure “muddy the waters” and introduced mandatory testing for those coming from hospitals.
Hancock expressed concern that expanding testing in nursing homes could “derail” the target of 100,000 daily coronavirus tests he was desperate to hit, the investigation said.
A spokesperson for Hancock said the former health secretary was “considering all options” in response to the leak.
He added: “It is scandalous that this distorted account of the pandemic is being circulated with partial leaks, pivoting to suit an anti-lockdown agenda, which would have cost hundreds of thousands of lives if followed. What the messages show is a lot of people working hard to save lives.
“The complete documents have now all been made available for the inquiry, which is the proper place for an objective assessment, so that real lessons can be learned.
“Those who argue that there shouldn’t have been a lockdown ignore the fact that half a million people would have died had we not been on lockdown. And for those who say we must never close again, imagine if a disease killed half of those infected and half of the population became infected – as is happening now with avian flu in birds. If this disease were in humans, of course we would want confinement.
“The nursing home story is completely wrong. What the messages show is that Mr. Hancock pushed for testing those who go to nursing homes when such a test was available.
“Instead of wiring and leaks, we need a thorough and comprehensive investigation to ensure we are as well prepared as possible for the next pandemic, when it happens. The Telegraph’s story is wrong, based on partial leaks – and they didn’t approach Matt before publication.”
A source close to Hancock told PA Media: “She broke a legal NDA (non-disclosure agreement). Her behavior is outrageous.”
The “lock files” investigation also contains:
Allegations that authorities sent Jacob Rees-Mogg a Covid test for one of his children while there were shortages.
Hancock telling former Chancellor George Osborne, then editor of the Evening Standard: “I WANT TO HIT MY TARGET!” as he pushed for favorable front-page coverage.
Oakeshott, who described the lockdowns as an “utter disaster”, said she was releasing the messages because it would be “many years” before the end of the official Covid inquiry, which she claimed could be a “colossal whitewash”.
“That’s why I decided to release this sensational cache of private communications – because we absolutely cannot wait any longer for responses,” she said.
In a message, Hancock said Whitty had completed a review and recommended “testing everyone going into asylums and segregation pending the outcome”.
Hancock described this as “obviously a good positive step”.
However, the investigation said he later responded to an aide: “Tell me if I’m wrong, but I’d rather leave this out and just commit to testing and isolating ALL hospital care. I think community engagement adds nothing and muddies the waters.”
Hancock’s spokesman said “the Telegraph story is wrong”, arguing that “instead of spinning and leaking, we need a full and comprehensive investigation”.
“It is outrageous that this distorted account of the pandemic is being circulated with partial leaks, pivoting to suit an anti-lockdown agenda, which would have cost hundreds of thousands of lives if followed. What the messages show is that many people work hard to save lives,” said the spokesperson.
“Those who argue that there shouldn’t have been a lockdown ignore the fact that half a million people would have died had we not been on lockdown. And for those who say we must never close again, imagine if a disease killed half of those infected and half of the population became infected – as is happening now with avian flu in birds. If this disease were in humans, of course we would want to block it.”
He continued: “The nursing home story is completely wrong. What the messages show is that Mr. Hancock pushed for testing those who go to nursing homes when such a test was available. The complete documents have now all been made available for the inquiry, which is the proper place for an objective assessment so that real lessons can be learned.”
In September 2020, during a major testing delay, messages suggest that a Hancock adviser helped send a test to the home of Rees-Mogg, a senior Conservative.
The aide sent a message to Hancock saying the lab had “lost” the original test for one of the sons of the then-Leader of Commons, “so we have a courier going to their family home tonight.”
He added: “Jacob’s spad (special adviser) is aware and has helped line everything up, but you might want to text Jacob.”
Commenting on the allegation, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “This is further evidence that it is one rule for Conservative ministers and another for everyone else. The Covid inquiry is to examine reports that Conservative ministers have been granted priority access to testing at a time of national shortage.”
As he struggled to meet his own target of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day, the investigation shows that Hancock texted his former boss Osborne to “ask in a favor”.
Hancock said he has thousands of spare test slots, which is “obviously good news about the spread of the virus” but “tough for my target” as he asked for front-page coverage.
Osborne replied, “Yes – of course – all you have to do tomorrow is give Standard a few exclusive words and I’ll tell the team to splatter it out.”
The then health secretary later added: “I WANT TO REACH MY GOAL!”