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Matt Hancock, the minister responsible for tackling Britain’s biggest post-war health crisis, was left on Saturday night in the face of harsh criticism over his relationship with a consultant who put him on public pay.
Hancock’s support was maintained on Saturday, as lawmakers said his position became unsustainable, while cabinet ministers refused to publicly support him.
Just after 6 p.m., Downing Street confirmed that Hancock had resigned. The minister acknowledged in his resignation letter that people had gone down for failing to comply with his health policies.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will have to find a new health secretary now that the country is starting to emerge from the pandemic, but he faces many health challenges, including a major delay by the NHS.
On Friday, Johnson appeared to be trying to hold on to Hancock, despite admitting that the health secretary had broken his social orientation to stay away from kissing counselor Gina Coladangelo in his Whitehall office in May.
It was reported on Saturday afternoon that Coladangelo had also resigned as non-executive director of the health department.
In his resignation letter, Hancock said, “We owe it to the people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic that we have been honest when I lied to them, violating the guidelines.”
He added: “The last thing I want is to divert my private life from the single thought that pulls us out of this crisis.”
Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi Tory officials believe Hancock’s successor is the neatest option; the appointment of a middle-ranking government would prevent the need for a broader cabinet renewal.
Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, Treasury Secretary General Steve Barclay and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden were being described as a potential alternative.
Hancock, who is married, apologized to his family for seeing his relationship on the front page of every national newspaper, and said he wanted to spend time with his three children.
Conservatives said there was no new revelation about his behavior that forced Hancock’s resignation, but lawmakers were privately and publicly critical of his initial decision to join his job.
Duncan Baker, a North Norfolk lawmaker, told the Eastern Daily Press: “I will never accept this behavior and will tell the government in the strongest possible way what I think.” Former minister Esther McVey told GB News “if I were you I would resign”.
Johnson, in response to Hancock’s resignation, suggested he could return later. “You should be very proud of your service,” he said. “I think your contribution to public service is a long way off.”
As a result of Hancock’s relationship with his adviser, Johnson, who was appointed as a non-executive director of his department for part-time £ 15,000, threatened to dominate the political debate in the decisive week.
Conservatives are hopeful of winning the Labor seat in Batley and Spen in parliamentary elections on Thursday, but polls showed people thought Hancock should leave.
Labor has claimed that Hancock’s behavior showed that there was a rule for senior Tory and another for the general public.
A senior Tory party official said: “It was inevitable. There was real anger in the party for breaking Covid’s rules.”
Guidelines for social distancing against a close relationship with a person in another home were removed after Hancock was pictured on a CCTV camera in his department building, kissing Coladangelo Oliver Bonas, the communications director of the retail chain.
One of Hancock’s lawmakers said, “I was walking in the camp on Saturday morning and two separate people came to me on the street to talk about Hancock. It was cut.”
The Hancock Act, which was soon to be introduced to significantly strengthen the Secretary of State’s powers over the NHS, gave NHS England operational independence by reversing key aspects of the controversial 2012 service shake-up.
Under the proposed legislation, the health secretary would be given “improved management powers” over the NHS, including veto over some appointments in higher health services and authority to give earlier decisions to close or upgrade the hospital.
Hancock and Downing Street wanted to tighten their grip on the service to ensure the general election would increase the number of nurses by 50,000 by the end of parliament and promise to provide 50m more GP doctors.
Hancock also played a key role in deciding who would be the next Director General of the NHS England when Sir Simon Stevens resigned at the end of next month.
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