The Lockdown Files Live, an event at which I’m going to be talking to Isabel Oakeshott about Matt Hancock’s WhatsApp messages that she handed over to the Telegraph, was almost derailed last week when the Emmanuel Centre informed us it could no longer host it. The reason? It had been contacted by Hancock’s people, who said it would be illegal for Isabel and I to “profit” from stolen property. In fact, the WhatsApp messages weren’t stolen – Hancock happily shared them with Isabel – but the Emmanuel Centre didn’t want the aggravation so it pulled the plug. Happily, we’ve managed to find another venue – the Hippodrome – where the event will take place on Tuesday, June 13th. (You can buy a ticket here.) And if you’re one of the people who’s bought a ticket to the drinks reception or the VIP dinner with Isabel and me on Saturday, June 10th – don’t worry. For those people the event will take place on Saturday as planned, only the drinks, the discussion and the dinner will all be at UnHerd’s swanky new headquarters on Old Queen Street rather than the Emmanuel Centre.
Isabel Oakeshott has written about this turn of events in the Telegraph. Here’s an extract:
That the former health secretary could see fit to adopt the moral high ground when it comes to money making of any description is a fresh reminder of his brass neck. This is, after all, a man who summarily dumped his constituents in West Suffolk to prance around the Australian jungle getting ants in his pants and eating camel bits. He told everyone his stint on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity show was all about raising awareness of dyslexia, but few were convinced. It turns out he pocketed £320,000 from his appearance – of which he donated just £10,000 to charity.
As if that was not enough to disqualify him from lecturing anyone about making money, he recently told an undercover reporter that his going rate for providing business advice is £10,000 a day, or “around £1,500 an hour”. Nice work if you can get it! Sadly, the South Korean company he thought he could assist turned out to be fake.
As for the stolen thing? Within a few hours of the Telegraph breaking the Lockdown Files exposé, even he dropped that ridiculous claim. To his regret, he freely shared his WhatsApps with quite a few people, including me.
Worth reading in full.
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