There is no question that the resignation or sacking of Matt Hancock is the only acceptable next move for the UK Government.
Despite claiming to be left “speechless” by Professor Neil Ferguson’s breach of Covid rules in May 2020, it turned out the health secretary had a great deal to say on the matter at the time. Ferguson receiving visits at home despite social distancing guidance to the contrary was “extraordinary”, according to Hancock, who added that the SAGE adviser made the “right decision to resign” following the incident.
He had a point – powerful people with access to the latest health expertise and data should know better than anyone that coronavirus regulations must be followed.
The hypocrisy in Hancock offering only a lacklustre, oven-ready apology after being caught acting in the same “extraordinary” manner a year later is staggering. It is a slap in the face to each and every one of us.
Of course, the health secretary is no stranger to hypocrisy – he has been sternly warning the UK public to obey the rules for over a year.
He cannot be kept in his role simply because his ‘uselessness’ distracts from other government indiscretions
Each political scandal brushed under the rug sets a new precedent and allows moral standards to slip even further. But questions thrown up by this revelation cannot go unanswered – for example, whether or not Hancock’s alleged affair with Gina Coladangelo pre-dates her appointment as his aide.
We deserve a competent health secretary
At all times, but especially amid a health crisis, we deserve a competent health secretary. Inept at best and dangerous at worst, Hancock has proven during the course of the pandemic that he is not fit for the task at hand.
He cannot be kept in his role simply because his “uselessness” distracts from other government indiscretions.
That Hancock has not only been allowed to remain in his job but was today defended by the prime minister speaks volumes about the leadership as a whole.
Boris Johnson may have “full confidence” in Matt Hancock, but we do not.
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