UK: Matt Hancock resigned on Saturday after filming himself kissing his assistant in the news, prompting him to seek dismissal.
London: The British government will investigate how images of former Prime Minister Matt Hancock kissing his aide entered the media and forced him to resign, in the wake of the recent spate of attacks on the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
After initially rejecting Hancock’s dismissal or resignation from the post of Minister of Health following the publication of photographs of him embracing a woman he nominated for a taxpayer role, Johnson accepted his decision to resign on Saturday.
The move puts pressure on Johnson’s government, which looks at one of the highest mortality rates from the COVID-19 epidemic and has been criticized for its premature handling – led by Hancock – in the crisis.
The BBC report that sensitive documents from the defense department received by a member of the public at the bus stop did nothing to end the sense of chaos in the heart of the government. The department said it was investigating the incident.
Asked how the Department of Health was investigating how Hancock’s photographs were taken from his government office and leaked, Northern Ireland’s Prime Minister Brandon Lewis told Sky News.
He later told Times Radio that there were two things the government should look into – whether the camera in Hancock’s office was “appropriate” and, if it was for security reasons, “how the video came to the public.
After the photos were published on Friday, many of his legal colleagues had asked Hancock to leave, saying his position could not be measured after admitting he had violated coronavirus limits at the time.
Johnson, who has faced criticism for various scandals including funding for the renovation of his apartment on Downing Street, initially stood by his health minister. He then accepted Hancock’s resignation on Saturday but suggested he could return to a higher public position.
Britain’s opposition Labor Party has raised questions about Hancock’s scandal, including whether the former Health Minister had violated government regulations.
” They say the fish is rotting from head to toe,” deputy labor leader Angela Rayner said in a statement on Sunday in which she called for an investigation.
“The stench of the sleaze hanging from this government is coming from above and the total disregard for the Prime Minister’s laws sets the ministers apart.”
The Sunday Times, citing papers, reported that Hancock was facing an investigation into allegations that he used his email to run a government business, violating guidelines.
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Welfare (DHSC) said: “All DHSC ministers understand the rules regarding the use of personal email and only perform government functions through their departmental email addresses.”
New Health Minister Sajid Javid, appointed by Johnson shortly after Hancock’s resignation, praised his predecessor for “incredibly hard work” during the outbreak of the coronavirus.
He told the BBC he was honored to take on the new position and admitted it was “coming with a lot of work”.
“We’re still suffering from the epidemic, and I want to see that that will end very quickly and that will be very important for me to see that we can get back to normal as soon as possible,” said Javid, a former finance minister.
