By Ben Kerrigan-
Hancock’s breach of coronavirus rules has led to an IFG report arguing that as part of a review of the ministerial code, the handbook for conduct by ministers should be given a basis in law, as with parallel codes for civil servants and political special advisers.
The report calls for Boris Johnson’s independent adviser on ministers’ interests, Christopher Geidt, to be given the independent power to begin investigations and publish findings without the agreement of the prime minister.
The Labour letter, signed by Charles Falconer, the shadow attorney general, David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, and Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary, notes that Hancock’s contact with Coladangelo was not permitted under social distancing rules in place at the time.
“These are the rules and regulations which the vast majority of the British public made huge sacrifices to follow – including by missing birthdays, weddings and even funerals of close family members and friends,” it says.
“To maintain confidence in the criminal justice system, the public need to know that the law will apply equally to everyone irrespective of rank, job, or title. The footage of the former health secretary and his aide is clear evidence that the law on indoor gatherings was breached. It appears impossible to describe the gathering shown in the footage as reasonably necessary for the purposes of work.”
The letter asks Ellis for “assurances from you that you have investigated the absence of any investigation in respect of Matt Hancock’s case and that you are satisfied that due process had been followed”.
Ellie Reeves, the shadow solicitor general, has side stepped questions about the proposal, stating that ministers “do not discuss individual cases, putative or otherwise”.
The report also calls for Johnson’s independent adviser on ministers’ interests, Christopher Geidt, to be given the independent power to begin investigations and publish findings without the agreement of the prime minister.
Citing also Johnson’s decision to take no action against Priti Patel after a formal investigation concluded that the home secretary had bullied civil servants, prompting the resignation of Geidt’s predecessor, Sir Alex Allan, the IFG said Johnson had “undermined the code”.
Tim Durrant, an associate director at the IFG, said: “The prime minister claims to value high standards of behaviour in government, but under his watch the system upholding them has been severely weakened. His decision to publish a new version of the ministerial code is an opportunity to repair some of the damage.”
Hancock’s actions exposed underlying failings in the system and questions to some extent the competence and integrity of the government. Dominic Cummings had gone out of his way in grievance, to inform the whole world that the prime minister had lost faith in the former Health Secretary, describing him as hopeless, and expressing a desire to have Michael Gove take over his reins at the time.
The former aid accused Hancock of being a liar who should have been fired 15-20 times as Health Secretary, and all this was on top of Hancock’s revealed conflict of interest in failing to declare .
Last May, the independent adviser on ministers’ interests, found that the health secretary had made a “technical” breach of the ministerial code of conduct by failing to declare that a firm run by a family member, which he has a 20% stake in, had won an NHS contract. In hindsight, Lord Geidt’s investigation of Mr Hancock’s shares in Topwood Ltd-a firm run by his sister and brother-in-law- which was approved as a potential supplier for NHS trusts in England, was perhaps the first sign of corruption at the higher level of government.
The conclusion that Mr Hancock had “a lack of knowledge” of the contract and that the conflict of interest was “in no way deliberate”, now seems more of a cover up that it did then, or an assessment influenced by close connections.
Hancock has shown a lack of principles by not only cheating on his wife, but leaving her unapologetically with little concern for the effects on Martha Hancock and her children.
Boris Johnson has said that the health secretary would face no further action after the technical breach, defying Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner’s call for the PM to “explain why the public should trust him to lead such a major government department”.