Hancock resigns after covid guideline breach and Sajid Javid becomes new health secretary

Matt Hancock resigned as England’s health secretary on Saturday evening after he was caught breaking his own covid-19 rules on social distancing by kissing an aide in his ministerial office.

Former chancellor Sajid Javid has been reappointed to the cabinet as the new secretary of state for health and social care after Hancock’s resignation.

Hancock had admitted breaking social distancing guidelines after the Sun newspaper published pictures of him kissing Gina Coladangelo, a long time friend of his and a non-executive director of the health department.1

But while the prime minister defended Hancock and said on Friday 25 June that he considered the matter “closed,” Hancock resigned the next day after a backlash from the public and some Conservative MPs.

In his resignation letter Hancock said, “We have worked so hard as a country to fight the pandemic. The last thing I would want is for my private life to distract attention from the single-minded focus that is leading us out of this crisis. I want to reiterate my apology for breaking the guidance, and apologise to my family and loved ones for putting them through this. I also need [to] be with my children at this time.”

Hancock also praised NHS staff and officials in his former department. “We didn’t get every decision right but I know people understand how hard it is to deal with the unknown, making the difficult trade-offs between freedom, prosperity and health that we have faced,” he wrote.

“I am so proud that Britain avoided the catastrophe of an overwhelmed NHS and that through foresight and brilliant science we have led the world in the vaccination effort, so we stand on the brink of a return to normality.”

Javid, a former banking executive, quit as Johnson’s chancellor of the exchequer in February 2020 after a row with Downing Street over his right to select his own advisers. But the MP for Bromsgrove, who also served as home secretary from 2018 to 2019 under Theresa May’s government, said he was “honoured” to return to the cabinet as health secretary.

“I look forward to contributing to our fight against the pandemic and serving my country from the cabinet once again,” he said.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said, “Health leaders will be pleased the prime minister has wasted no time in appointing a new secretary of state as the NHS continues to fight the many challenges of a global pandemic. Also, they will be encouraged that the role has gone to someone who, as a former chancellor, should know the Treasury inside out. It is imperative that Sajid Javid uses these connections to ensure the NHS gets the investment it desperately needs, alongside delivering long term reform for social care.

Chaand Nagpaul, BMA chair of council, said, “Sajid Javid has a huge and urgent task ahead. He must ensure completing the rollout of the adult vaccination programme at rapid pace to control spiralling infection rates. He must also put forward a credible plan to tackle a backlog of care of unprecedented scale while at the same time rebuilding the trust of doctors and the wider healthcare workforce.”