Matt Hancock

Boris Johnson has said coronavirus restrictions are being eased “once and for all” as the UK marks the anniversary of the first national lockdown. The prime minister offered his “sincere condolences to those who have lost loved ones” and praised the “great spirit” displayed ahead of the nation pausing in remembrance on Tuesday. With the […]

Matt Hancock’s department has signed off on two Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) deals worth more than £90million with a state-backed Chinese firm listed at a hotel room in Beijing, new documents show. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) struck two lucrative contracts during the first coronavirus wave with Beijing Union Glory Investment Co Ltd, […]

A junior health minister has been sent to defend the government’s recommendation to give NHS workers in England a 1% pay rise. Health secretary Matt Hancock dodged questions from MPs after Labour called for a response at the despatch box. Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth had demanded Hancock appear in the House of Commons to make […]

A hunt is underway to locate one of the first people in the UK believed to have contracted the Manaus variant of coronavirus, a new strain that may spread more rapidly and respond less well to existing vaccines. Public Health England (PHE) said on Sunday that six cases of the concerning P.1 variant first detected […]

MITCH BENN starts his weekly look back at some of the highlights and lowlights of recent days… UNFATHOMABLE STRATEGY OF THE WEEK The trouble with an inscrutable and mysterious strategy is that to the untrained eye, it’s indistinguishable from an entirely non-existent one. What is Sir Keir Starmer’s plan as leader of the opposition? Does it […]

Calls for Matt Hancock to resign following the recent court ruling against him over PPE contracts simply underline the problem with bringing such cases.  This week, a lot of people are confused – and very reasonably so. A court has ruled that health secretary Matt Hancock broke the law over Covid-19 related contracts. The ruling seems to […]

MPs have called on Matt Hancock to apologise after he denied there was ever a national shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the coronavirus pandemic. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves urged the health secretary to say sorry to NHS and care staff who “had to make makeshift PPE” due to a lack of […]

Matt Hancock appears to have removed a picture of a friend’s pub from his wall following a court ruling on coronavirus contracts. Alex Bourne, who ran the Cock Inn near Hancock’s former constituency in Thurlow, secured a contract to provide medical equipment after contacting the health secretary over Whatsapp. It comes as the UK’s medicines regulator, […]

Just over a third of the public in England think Matt Hancock should resign after a court ruled that he had “breached his legal obligation” by not publishing details of contracts surrounding personal protective equipment (PPE). New polling from Savanta ComRes – conducted on Monday – found the public were split on the issue with […]

Matt Hancock has said he has no problem breaching laws surrounding the issuing of contracts again if he were the health minister during another public health emergency. The health secretary refused to apologise after a High Court ruling found he had “breached his legal obligation” to publish details of contracts within 30 days. The breach applied to […]

Jeremy Corbyn has called on Boris Johnson to sack his health secretary and replace him with someone who would “obey the law” following the minster’s run-in with the courts over the awarding of Covid contracts. The former Labour leader on Monday said that “answers are required” from the prime minister over Matt Hancock’s role in unlawfully […]

Matt Hancock has declined to apologise after the High Court ruled the government unlawfully failed to publish details of billions of pounds’ worth of coronavirus-related contracts. The health eecretary has faced calls for greater accountability after a judge said he did not publish redacted contracts in accordance with the transparency policy. However, Hancock insisted legal […]

The government unlawfully failed to publish details of billions of pounds’ worth of coronavirus-related contracts, the High Court has ruled. The Good Law Project took legal action against the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) for its “wholesale failure” to disclose details of contracts agreed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The government is required by […]

Matt Hancock has urged people to be “patient” about the prospect of getting away this summer, despite the health secretary already booking a break in Cornwall. Hancock said that the rollout of coronavirus vaccines was “absolutely essential” for summer holidays to take place. “I know that people are yearning for certainty over whether they can […]

Labour is demanding that Matt Hancock condemns a report published by a right-wing think tank and pay back the donations he received after it said there is “no reason” to be grateful for the NHS. The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) used a report to also claim there is “no rational basis” for the public support […]

Ministers have been accused of being too slow to act after it was disclosed new coronavirus quarantine hotels will not come into force until mid-February. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that, from February 15, travellers returning to the UK from “red list” countries will have to quarantine in a government-approved facility […]

Matt Hancock has downplayed suggestions he took advice on the UK’s vaccine strategy from a Hollywood film, telling Good Morning Britain (GMB) he had in fact consulted numerous sources. Hancock told LBC radio he had become aware that a row could break out over who was eligible for a Covid jab from Contagion, a 2011 thriller about the deadly outbreak of […]

The SNP has criticised health secretary Matt Hancock for using the Downing Street coronavirus press conference to make “overtly political statements” about the Union. Amid signs of rising support for Scottish independence, Hancock stressed the importance of collaboration between the nations in the fight against Covid-19 during the health briefing. He told the press conference […]

Health secretary Matt Hancock has been reminded that he voted against free school meals – after he praised the government for providing them. He told Good Morning Britain: “I’m really glad we’re able to send out food for those who receive free school meals when schools are in, and I’m really glad we’re able to […]

Health secretary Matt Hancock is “confident” that life will bring normality “by 2022”. As he announced millions more people in England will be placed into lockdown from Boxing Day, Hancock warned that the virus was spreading again at a “dangerous rate”. Commenting on the new Tier 4 restrictions, he warned: “This Christmas and the start […]

Matt Hancock is to hold a Downing Street press conference on Covid-19. The health secretary will provide an update from Number 10 at 3pm. It comes amid speculation that more areas of England are heading for a Tier 4 lockdown. Earlier, fellow minister Robert Jenrick denied there would be any changes to coronavirus restrictions before […]

A senior Tory MP has called on Matt Hancock to resign after he introduced a new round of strict coronavirus measures across London and much of South-East England days before Christmas. Sir Charles Walker, vice chair of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, made the remarks following the government’s latest lockdown plans. The public has been advised against […]

Andrew Marr has ripped into health secretary Matt Hancock over the government’s coronavirus response as millions were forced into a new Tier 4 for Covid-19 restrictions. Playing back a clip of Boris Johnson mocking Keir Starmer for wanting to “cancel Christmas” days before the prime minister announced plans to do that, Marr accused Hancock of […]

Health secretary Matt Hancock has told MPs Tier 3 restrictions will be extended across a wide area of East and South East England. Which tier are you in? Find out below. Tier 3 No mixing indoors. People can only meet outdoors in limited places such as parks and public gardens. Pubs and restaurants must close, […]

New document have revealed Matt Hancock backtracked on tough tech laws following a meeting with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Then culture secretary, Hancock promised the “tone” of new regulations would shift after Zuckerberg hinted he might pull plans to invest in the UK. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) obtained minutes from the secretive meeting via […]

Matt Hancock has ignored Britain’s medicines regulator to repeat a debunked claim that Britain fast-tracked the approval of a coronavirus vaccine thanks to Brexit. The health secretary doubled down on claims that being outside the EU allowed Britain to “change the law” to allow a speedy approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine last week, becoming the first country in the world to […]

A television presenter has reminded Matt Hancock that the Covid-19 vaccine – first administered in Britain – was an international effort. The health secretary was rebuked last week after he claimed that Britain was only able to become the first country to approve the jab because of Brexit. He told talkRADIO: “It is absolutely clear that […]

Germany’s health minister has struck down claims UK officials were able to swiftly authorise the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine because of Brexit. Jens Spahn said the claims had been ‘misplaced’ as he reminded Westminster politicians that the vaccine had been partly developed by German biotech start-up. In a briefing on Wednesday, Spahn said although Britain had already approved […]

Matt Hancock has been rebuked by members of the public after suggesting the speedy approval of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine was due to Brexit. Hancock caused controversy after insisting Britain’s exit from the EU meant it could rapidly approve new vaccines. This comes after Britain became the first country in the world to approve a jab for coronavirus on […]

Matt Hancock has said a former neighbour who was awarded millions of pounds worth of Covid contracts after texting him went through “the normal channels”. Hancock deflected criticism that he was personally involved in handing government contracts to Alex Bourne whose company was given work to supply test tubes two weeks after contacting the minister by […]

Matt Hancock is to hold a press conference at 5pm from Downing Street. The health secretary is expected to announce further details on the government’s community testing programme. His appearance comes off the back of new figures suggesting coronavirus infections fell by almost a third in England during the second national lockdown. There was a […]

The company of a former neighbour of Matt Hancock’s has won a multi-million-pound contract to supply medical equipment to Covid testing centres despite having no previous experience. Alex Bourne, who ran a pub close to Hancock’s former constituency in Suffolk, said he offered his company’s services to the health secretary in a WhatsApp message. Hinpack, Bourne’s company, was […]