There have been many criticisms of the performance of Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care over the last year or so and yet he has held on to his job throughout. Now things may be changing.
Hancock has now been caught on film having a rather intimate 'clinch' with one of his aides, a woman whom he has known for many years and whom he seems to have employed within his department last year. While the simple matter of him possibly having an affaire (he is married with 3 children) may not be considered a critical offence in these supposedly enlightened days, the ramifications are significant.
Firstly, he has spent much of the last 18 months telling us all that we "must" follow the rules relating to COVID-19 restrictions, including those around social distancing; he clearly believed that these rules did not apply to himself.
Secondly, how can the people of this country believe whatever he tells us when he is obviously very ready to lie to and deceive his wife of 15 years in this way ? A man who will happily deceive his closest family would surely find it a far less difficult matter to deceive people with whom he has no close relationship. To put it mildly, his credibility is shot to pieces.
Thirdly, it seems that the woman involved has a brother who is a senior figure in a company which has been awarded major NHS in recent times, while questions have been raised about the process which saw her appointed to her non-executive role in Mr Hancock's Department. There have been other questions raised about similar issues over the last year, Hancock and his sister owning some 40% of another company that was awarded NHS contracts though Hancock did not fully declare this family connection.
Fourthly, how on earth was he caught on film, apparently in his private departmental office ? Are ministers now routinely subject to CCTV monitoring ? If so, why and by whom ? If not, then how was the incriminating film obtained ? The implications for the security of government buildings is massive.
I have no idea whether Matt Hancock has been a good, bad or indifferent Secretary of State but this littany of failings, added to the comments of Dominic Cummings and elleged remarks of Boris Johnson, should surely be enough to see him booted out of office. However, for the moment at least, Boris is standing by his man though for how long remains to be seen. As the pressure mounts and public opinion swings against him, Hancock's tenure must be approaching its end.
Whether it's a couple of days, a few weeks or a couple of months, he's a dead man walking.
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