By Ben Kerrigan-
Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock(pictured) vehemently denied allegations of dishonesty leveled against him, as he faces a two day grilling at the Covid inquiry.
Dishonesty appears to have accompanied Hancock’s name and image after he was caught breaking the very rules he endorsed and expected the public to abide by during the pandemic.
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Hancock — who quit government following the scandal of a coronavirus rule-breaching affair with a married aide, ending both their marriages in the process, lost plenty of integrity with his dishonourable exit.
His parliamentary code breaching participation in a reality TV stint- I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here- saw him expelled from the Tory party, while the leak of thousands of his private WhatsApps earlier this year shed an unflattering light on the government he served in.
Responding to queries from Keith, who questioned why critics like Dominic Cummings considered Hancock a liar, the former MP asserted his innocence, emphasizing that no one in his department supported these accusations.
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The ongoing inquiry has witnessed accusations from advisers and officials, including claims by senior civil servant Helen MacNamara and former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, of Hancock not being truthful.
Hancock, who served as Health Secretary from 2018 until June 2021, pushed back against claims of dishonesty, asserting there was “no evidence whatsoever” that he lied during the pandemic.
Accusing Dominic Cummings of being a “malign actor,” Hancock described him as a disruptive force responsible for fostering a “toxic culture” within No 10.
This revelation adds a new dimension to the already tense relationship between Hancock and Cummings, who left No 10 in December 2020.
Hancock argued that he had to “wake up Whitehall” to the severity of the Covid threat. While defending his role in the pandemic, he highlighted the challenges faced by his department, stating, “There was a great deal of hard work on our side and a toxic culture that we had to work with which seemed to want to find people to blame.”
The former Health Secretary revealed the internal struggles, describing the environment as “unhelpful” and marked by a lack of empathy.
The inquiry showcased extracts from Sir Patrick Vallance’s diary, detailing a “massive internal mess” within the health department. Despite this, Hancock robustly defended his and the department’s actions.
When confronted with apparent contradictions in evidence about when the government knew about asymptomatic transmission, Hancock expressed regret for not overruling advice that dismissed the possibility until April. He acknowledged this as his “single greatest regret with hindsight.”
Breaking the heart of his wife and that of the husband of his cheating partner does not rank very high on his regret list with hindsight.
The clash between Hancock and Cummings has been a focal point of the inquiry. Hancock’s assertion that Cummings created a “culture of fear” sheds light on the tumultuous dynamics within No 10.
The former Health Secretary blamed Cummings for making the working environment unpleasant, not only for him but also for his staff.
This revelation further emphasizes the personal tensions and professional clashes that defined key decision-making moments during the pandemic.
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