Who is Isabel Oakeshott, the journalist behind Matt Hancock Covid messages leak?

Following her determination to leak messages sent by Matt Hancock astatine the tallness of the Covid pandemic, freelance writer Isabel Oakeshott finds herself astatine the centre of a governmental enactment - and not for the archetypal time.

In 2015, she co-wrote a biography of David Cameron, Call Me Dave, which included the eye-catching but unsubstantiated assertion that the past premier curate had taken portion successful a lurid initiation ceremonial involving a dormant pig's caput portion astatine university.

She got different person successful occupation erstwhile successful 2011 she revealed that Liberal Democrat curate Chris Huhne had persuaded his woman Vicky Pryce to instrumentality his speeding points.

Mr Huhne was subsequently jailed for 8 months for perverting the people of justice.

A vehement protagonist of the UK leaving the EU, she helped millionaire and Brexit campaigner Arron Banks constitute his relationship of the referendum run entitled The Bad Boys of Brexit.

During the penning of the book, she was fixed entree to Mr Banks' emails which she aboriginal published arguing it was successful the nationalist involvement to bash so.

In 2019, the UK's ambassador to the United States Sir Kim Darroch was forced to resign aft Ms Oakeshott obtained emails successful which helium was captious of Donald Trump.

In the concealed cables, helium labelled the then-American President arsenic "inept", "insecure" and "incompetent".

Ms Oakeshott denied that the communicative was linked to her narration with Brexit campaigner Richard Tice, who it had been suggested was keen to get the US ambassador job.

Mr Tice, present person of the Reform UK Party, tweeted: "Conspiracy theorists who deliberation I privation US Ambassador occupation wholly wrong. Ridiculous suggestion! But different elder pro Brexit businessperson would bash large occupation promoting U.K. and securing speedy commercialized deal."

Before her narration with Mr Tice, Ms Oakeshott had 3 children from a erstwhile marriage.

She started retired arsenic a newsman astatine the East Lothian Courier and roseate to go the archetypal pistillate governmental exertion astatine the Sunday Times, and aboriginal editor-at-large astatine the Daily Mail.

Fellow writer and Talk TV broadcaster Julia Hartley-Brewer describes Ms Oakeshott arsenic a "marmite journalist".

"Some emotion to emotion her, immoderate emotion to hatred her, everyone has an sentiment but she is simply a damn bully writer - she gets scoops."

The Guardian's Media Editor Jim Waterson said Conservative officials person been "astonished Matt Hancock decided to springiness each of his idiosyncratic messages to idiosyncratic who precise publically opposed astir of his argumentation level erstwhile it came to lockdown".

Lord Bethell, a wellness curate during the pandemic, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I deliberation Isabel is simply a terrific journalist. She's not a precise bully friend."

During the coronavirus pandemic, she became a fierce professional of lockdown rules.

Writing successful the Spectator past twelvemonth she said: "My humor inactive boils erstwhile I deliberation of the unnecessary suffering: the breached homes and breached businesses; the mislaid past moments with loved ones; the missed cancers and operations; a procreation of children scarred forever.

"This state paid a catastrophic terms for what I spot arsenic a reckless overreaction to a illness that was lone life-threatening to a tiny fig of radical who could person been protected without imprisoning the full population."

She acknowledged immoderate would beryllium amazed by her determination to enactment with Matt Hancock connected his book, Pandemic Diaries, but said she was driven by a tendency to "get to the truth".

In the past fewer days she has powerfully defended her determination to people texts fixed to her during the penning of the publication saying it was successful the "overwhelming nationalist interest".

Mr Hancock, nevertheless has accused her of a "massive betrayal".