The Daily Telegraph

The Lockdown Files

2023

The Lockdown Files were a series of articles published by The Daily Telegraph which shed light on the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The investigation was a powerful example of public interest journalism, containing a wealth of information, including evidence, analysis, speculation, and opinions, drawn from over 100,000 WhatsApp messages exchanged between the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, and colleagues.

Journalist Isabel Oakeshott was instrumental in obtaining the files and providing them to the Telegraph, which was able to publish them in February 2023, making the information available to the public “to help people form their own conclusions about what the UK went through in the darkest days of the pandemic.” The files provided a detailed insight into the government’s decision-making process during the pandemic and generated a lot of discussion and debate among readers.

Overall, the Lockdown Files were an important contribution to the public’s understanding of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the UK. They demonstrated the power of investigative journalism and the crucial role it plays in holding those in power accountable and ensuring transparency in government decision-making.

The Information Commissioner, John Edwards, commented on the scoop, saying the investigation “underlies the importance of maintaining a public record of these private transcripts for transparency, accountability and lesson learning in the future.”