UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has resigned after a national newspaper published pictures of him hugging an assistant in his office in violation of Covid norms.
File Photo of Former UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock (Image Credit: AP)
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Sun posted pictures of Matt Hancock kissing his assistant
- Hancock submitted his resignation to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday
- You should be immensely proud of your service, Johnson wrote in his response
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accepted the resignation of Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Hancock, 42, quit Saturday after being caught hugging an assistant in his office in violation of Covid-19 norms.
The matter only came to light afterwards The Sun posted photos of Matt Hancock hugging and kissing a woman in his office. According to the newspaper, the married Hancock had hired the woman to review the performance of his department at the taxpayer’s expense.
According to The Sun, the images were clicked in May this year when it was against Covid rules in the UK to have intimate contact with someone outside of one’s household.
READ: Over 10,000 Covid cases reported in the UK for the first time since February
As Health Secretary, Matt Hancock led the UK government’s pandemic management. In fact, he has appeared on camera several times to urge the British people not to be vigilant as they fight the virus.
In a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson On Saturday, Matt Hancock apologized to his own family for “going through it”.
Hancock also wrote, “We owe it to people who sacrificed so much in this pandemic, to be honest, if we failed them as I did by breaking the guidelines.”
“You should leave the office very proud of what has been achieved – not only in the fight against the pandemic, but before # COVID19 hit us,” the letter continues.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson accepted Hancock’s resignation but said he regretted having received it in the first place.
“You should be immensely proud of your service,” wrote Prime Minister Johnson in his letter to Matt Hancock.
Johnson added, “I am grateful for your support and believe that your contribution to the civil service is far from over.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
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