Isabel Oakeshott

Isabel Oakeshott is an award-winning political journalist and broadcaster who specialises in breaking agenda-setting stories and delivering sharp political commentary. Former Political Editor of the Sunday Times and the first woman to hold that role, she has exposed major scandals including the Chris Huhne speeding points story and the Lockdown Files, revealing secret ministerial communications during the pandemic. She currently serves as International Editor at Talk TV, regularly appears on BBC Question Time, and writes for the Telegraph, the Spectator, the Sun and the Mail on Sunday. Isabel has co-authored multiple bestselling books on defence capability, the NHS, and unauthorised biographies of prime ministers including David Cameron and Rishi Sunak. Her sessions equip audiences with insider perspectives on Westminster dynamics, political strategy and the real stories behind headline-making decisions.

When Isabel Oakeshott exposed the Chris Huhne speeding points scandal, she set a new benchmark for investigative political journalism that would define her career. As the first woman to serve as Political Editor of the Sunday Times, she has since broken some of the most significant stories in British politics, including the Lockdown Files, which revealed secret ministerial communications during the pandemic, and leaked diplomatic telegrams that led to the resignation of the UK Ambassador to the US, Sir Kim Darroch. Her work has earned her Political Journalist of the Year at the UK Press Awards and a place on the New Statesman's Right Power List, cementing her reputation as one of the most influential voices in Westminster reporting.

Isabel's career trajectory reflects both tenacity and range. Beginning in regional newspapers across Scotland, she covered everything from Madonna's wedding at Skibo Castle to investigations in Glasgow's most challenging neighbourhoods before moving into lobby journalism. Her roles have included Political Editor-At-Large of the Daily Mail, and she currently serves as International Editor at Talk TV whilst writing regularly for the Telegraph, the Spectator, the Sun and the Mail on Sunday. She appears frequently on BBC Question Time and across major broadcast platforms, recognised by the BBC as part of "the best political panel in the business". Beyond journalism, Isabel has co-authored multiple bestselling books examining critical national issues: White Flag? scrutinises UK defence capability, Life Support investigates the state of the NHS, and Farmageddon, translated into six languages, exposes industrial farming practices. Her unauthorised biographies of prime ministers David Cameron and Rishi Sunak, alongside Pandemic Diaries with former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, demonstrate her access to the corridors of power and her ability to extract compelling narratives from political insiders.

In her speaking sessions, Isabel delivers insider perspectives that audiences cannot access elsewhere. She decodes Westminster dynamics with clarity and wit, analysing party strategies, leadership futures and the real motivations behind policy decisions whilst sharing the indiscretions and gossip that reveal how politics truly operates. Her presentations equip business leaders, policymakers and engaged citizens with the context needed to anticipate political shifts and understand their implications. Audiences leave with a sharper grasp of the forces shaping national decisions and the confidence to navigate an increasingly complex political landscape with informed judgement.