By Ben Kerrigan-
Matt Hancock’s hypocrisy has impacted the integrity of the British government seriously because the question now is how many others have been breaking the rules without detection?
Hancock was only caught because of a security breach , after a CCTV was secretly placed in his office. His hypocrisy would have continued undetected, regardless of the severe alarm and warnings, following the revelations by Dominic Cummings accusing Hancock as a liar the prime minister considered hopeless. There must be many others who have bene privately breaking the laws they have expected the public to keep over the past 16 months.
When Dominic Cummings broke coronavirus rules in 2020 by driving to Durham to meet his family, the British public were shocked and disappointed that a government adviser could break rules he had helped establish. The extent if the hypocrisy was shocking. Little did they know that a worse hypocrisy was festering in government.
Trusting a hypocritical government when it comes to anything is difficult, but more challenging when it comes to rules of social distancing. When those in power break the rules they set, the coded message is that the rules are not absolutely necessary, but necessary for their own selfish gains and agenda. No adult tells a child not to put their hands in a fire to avoid getting burnt, if the adult is going to put his own hands in the same fire. That’s because the fire is truly hot! But Hancock couldn’t have truly believed it was absolutely necessary to keep distance from a woman who had mixed in other company before coming to work, but was telling the nation it was.
Just as he did not believe it important enough to be loyal and honest with his wife of 15 years about his secret affair, with his former university friend. His crime reminds us of the less serious offence committed by professor Ferguson last year.
Prof Ferguson, who was once advising the government, and whose track record is filled with so many misjudgments relating to predictions, quit as a government adviser last year, after the Telegraph reported that a woman he was said to be in a relationship with had visited his home in lockdown.
Professor Neil Ferguson was the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) scientist whose work convinced the Prime Minister to enforce the first national lockdown – but he broke the rules just days after they were put in place.
Ferguson warned that 250,000 people could die in the UK without drastic action, resigned from Sage on May 5 2020 after it emerged that he allowed a woman to visit his house in London when the Government’s key message was to stay at home. The hypocrisy coming from Ferguson was particularly alarming because of his standing and supposed expertise about the dangers of the virus, and the importance of social distancing.
At the time, The grand hypocrite we now know to be Mr Hancock, told Sky News that it was “just not possible” for Prof Ferguson to continue advising the government.
He said the social distancing rules “are there for everyone” and are “deadly serious”.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) read: “Where possible you should keep people 2m apart. If this is not viable, keeping 1m apart with risk mitigation is acceptable.”
The government’s guidelines say: “When you cannot redesign an activity to meet social distance guidelines, ask if your business can continue without that activity.”
Face coverings are not mandatory in offices. Guidance says they are “not a replacement for the other ways of managing risk including “minimizing time spent in contact”.
When it came to gatherings indoors, the law stated: “No person may participate in a gathering… which consists of two or more people and takes place indoors.”
There was an exception for work purposes but only if the gathering was “reasonably necessary”.
“I cannot see how that exception could apply in the circumstances,” Adam Wagner, a barrister from Doughty Street Chambers who is an expert on the lockdown restrictions told BBC Reality Check.
“Based on what we know, this seems to me to have been an illegal gathering.
“The week before the photo is said to have been taken, Mr Hancock said: “This is no time for complacency, it’s a time for caution.” Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, he reminded the public to “remember the basics of hands, face, space, and fresh air”.
On 11 May, he said that once restrictions were eased he would be “trusting people’s personal responsibility” on whether to hug others. He told Sky News: “It depends on people’s circumstances.” However, his own circumstances were deeper than most could imagine. He was having a serious affair with his senior aide, despite the pair being married.
On 16 May, he told Sky News: “Of course, there’s people who have been yearning to have some physical contact – you should do that carefully.”
On the subject of hugging, he added: “The thing I’m really looking forward to is hugging my Mum… we’ll probably do it outside and keep the ventilation going.”
Meanwhile Hancock was doing a lot more than hugging his mum in his sexual relationship with Ms Coladangelo, hoping his secret will remain so forever.
Systemic Rule Breaking By Political Figures
Hancock’s offence has been committed in other ways by hypocritical ministers in power, raising serious questions as to how committed politicians are to abiding by the rules they set.
Margaret Ferrier, 60, had the Scottish National Party whip removed after it emerged she allegedly travelled from Glasgow to the House of Commons while waiting for the results of a Covid-19 test in September last year.
Ms Ferrier was later charged with culpable and reckless conduct and appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court in February, but made no plea. The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon also apologized for a similar breach, telling the Scottish Parliament she had “no excuses” after being photographed in a bar not wearing a face covering.